Wearable cardioverter defibrillator

A wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) is a device worn by patients who are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). A WCD allows physicians time to assess for their patient's arrhythmic risk and make appropriate plans. A wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) is a device worn by patients who are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). A WCD allows physicians time to assess for their patient's arrhythmic risk and make appropriate plans. A WCD is lightweight and easy to wear. The WCD is non-invasive and consists of two main components – a garment and a monitor. The garment, worn under the clothing, detects arrhythmias and delivers treatment shocks. The monitor is worn around the waist or from a shoulder strap and records the arrhythmias. The WCD continuously monitors the patient’s heart and, if a life-threatening heart rhythm is detected, it can deliver a treatment shock to restore normal heart rhythm. The entire event, from detecting a life-threatening arrhythmia to automatically delivering a treatment shock, usually occurs in less than a minute. Timely defibrillation is the single most important factor in saving an SCA victim’s life. A treatment shock must be delivered within a few minutes after an event to be effective; with each passing minute, a patient’s chances of survival drops 10 percent. The WCD does not require bystander intervention and has a 98 percent first treatment shock success rate for resuscitating patients from SCA.