Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: implications for the nonelectrophysiologist

• Purpose: To review clinical scenarios in which non-electrophysiologist physicians may interact with pa-tients who have implantable defibrillators. • Data Sources: Peer-reviewed original articles and reviews addressing aspects of implantable defibrillator therapy that are relevant to the clinician. • Data Synthesis: The capacity of implantable defibril-lators to recognize and treat tachyarrhythmias can be temporarily disabled by placing a magnet on top of all devices. General surgery, radiotherapy, lithotripsy, and electroconvulsive therapy can usually be safely done under continuous electrocardiographic monitoring in patients with implantable defibrillators. The device should be deactivated before the procedure is done and reactivated and reassessed immediately afterward