While discussing a case presentation with a medical student, a nearby patient who just returned from getting an ankle radiograph done yells out in pain. You walk over to him and ask what is wrong. He states that since returning from the radiology suite, his automatic implantable cardioverterdefibrillator (AICD) is discharging. You hook him up to the monitor and note that his rhythm is sinus. You observe a third shock while the patient is in sinus rhythm. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management? A. Send the patient back to the radiology suite for another radiograph to desensitize his AICD. B. Administer pain medication and wait until the device representative arrives at the hospital to power off the AICD. C. Admit the patient to the telemetry unit to monitor his rhythm and find the cause of his AICD discharge. D. Place a magnet over the AICD generator to inactivate it and thereby prevent further shocks. E. Make a small incision over his chest wall and remove the AICD generator and leads.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 11:44:08 +0000