Which device is used to deliver a life-saving shock when needed and can be implanted?

Which device is used to deliver a life-saving shock when needed and can be implanted?

• A. External Defibrillator
• B. Pacemaker
• C. Automatic Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator
• D. Stretcher

Answer: (C)

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is designed to monitor heart rhythm continuously and deliver a high-energy shock when it detects a life-threatening arrhythmia like ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. It’s surgically implanted under the skin with leads connected to the heart, so it can act automatically and promptly to restore normal rhythm, which is why it’s described as life-saving and implantable. Some devices also provide pacing if the heart rate drops too low, but the defining feature here is the ability to deliver a shock when needed. External defibrillators are used outside the body in emergencies, pacemakers primarily pace the heart rather than deliver shocks, and a stretcher is simply a transport device, not a heart rhythm management device.

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is designed to monitor heart rhythm continuously and deliver a high-energy shock when it detects a life-threatening arrhythmia like ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. It’s surgically implanted under the skin with leads connected to the heart, so it can act automatically and promptly to restore normal rhythm, which is why it’s described as life-saving and implantable. Some devices also provide pacing if the heart rate drops too low, but the defining feature here is the ability to deliver a shock when needed. External defibrillators are used outside the body in emergencies, pacemakers primarily pace the heart rather than deliver shocks, and a stretcher is simply a transport device, not a heart rhythm management device.