Icd shock

[Orange1405]

So this morning my ICD delivered a shock. Thing being I now have a 2week old baby who I am frightened to pick up incase it happens when I have hold of him.

I really don't know what to do to get over this. Any ideas anyone?

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

If you see someone being defibrillated by medics either in real life or a film you will be aware there is a huge jolt of energy needed to restart the heart. This is because it has to penetrate skin, flesh and bone to deliver the shock to the heart.

With an ICD it is very different. As the wires connect directly to the heart a relatively small shock is delivered. By the time this reaches the surface it should be harmless although it will not feel like that to you.

I would suggest you ring the BHF nurses in the morning as they are more expert than me.

There is a third type of defibrillator. This has smaller paddles than the one people are used. It is used in the operating theatre mainly if the heart doesn't restart after on-pump open heart surgery.

[Orange1405 in reply to MichaelJH]

Hi Michael.

Like I have said to Dave I am not worried about the initial shock from the device its more a case of dropping the baby if I had hold of him. I will speak to the heart team and gp regarding how to get over the anxiety of the issue.

Obviously I don't want any harm to come to the baby in anyway

[DaveTR]

Hi Orange1405,

I understand your concern.

Do you know if your shock was 'appropriate'?

I've had 3 shocks now from my ICD. The first was in the shower. It took 2 to 3 months before I could shower without the fear of a shock. The second one happened while getting dressed and the third on holiday abroad.

My then 8 year old daughter watched the third one.

The first 2 were appropriate and the third inappropriate. This has led to some adjustment in the device settings.

For all of them I felt unwell beforehand.

The first shock was a shock (excuse the pun) but I knew the others were coming as felt the same.

Did you feel unwell before the shock?

If so, do you think you would recognise the feeling of it happened bargain?

As MichaelJH says, the shock should be harmless to anyone touching you.

Please do have a chat with your GP/Heart team

I hope your confidence returns soon.

[Orange1405 in reply to DaveTR]

Hi Dave. The shock was appropriate.

Its not so much the fact of the shock getting to the baby it's more the fact of if I had hold of him at the time I am afraid I would drop him.

The first shock I was asleep and didn't know anything till I felt it and the second I woke up to go to the toilet at 4am and felt a slight knocking feeling in my chest then bang it went with not much warning.

It is the no warning that has me concerned as obviously I don't want it to happen if I have hold of the baby.

Thanks for your comments and I will do as you say and have a chat with gp and heart team to discuss the matter further.

[Hidden in reply to Orange1405]

Have you thought about wearing a sling? The fabric scarf type ones are really comfortable and you would at least have a chance to sit down or lie flat on your back if you had any sign

[DaveTR in reply to Orange1405]

With little or no warning that is very tricky.

As Shelf6 suggests, you could consider a simple sling.

It would be interesting to see how other parents have managed similar situations.

Hope you find a way.

[Hidden]

Michael is right again. Despite common misconception that water (which the body is 60% of I believe) is a good conductor of electricity, it actually isn't very good (I used to be a sparky). There is no way the small pulse of high voltage low current that an ICD produces will travel to the extremity and pose any danger to anyone else, trust me.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

I said I would check it out. An external defibrillator initial delivers 150 Joules but can go up 360J. An ICD delivers between 31 and 41J. This would virtually totally dissapate by the time it reaches the surface.

Have you ring the BHF nurses?

[JoanyB]

Sorry I can't offer any advice (although a sling sounds a good idea).

It is probably a rather sweeping generalisation, but it struck me that the 3 answers from males assumed Orange1405 was worried about the 'electrical' effect of the LCD on the baby, whilst my first, and only, thought as a female was that she was frightened of dropping him and never thought about the electrics!! No offence to either sex meant!