When an implantable defibrillator fails
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) kills up to 350,000 people a year. It is caused by a malfunction in the heart's electrical system that can occur when the lower chambers of the heart suddenly start beating in an uncoordinated fashion, preventing the heart from pumping blood out to the lungs and body. Unless the heart is shocked back into normal rhythm, the person rarely survives.
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