Inappropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator shocks in fractured Sprint Fidelis leads associated with 'appropriate' interrogation

Abstract

We present two patients with fractures within the pace-sense circuit of their Medtronic Sprint Fidelis leads who received inappropriate shocks from their Medtronic defibrillators during device interrogation. This was not simply a coincidence, but due to electromagnetic interference induced within the Sprint Fidelis lead by the device programmer during two-way communication with the defibrillator. Our subsequent investigations have uncovered at least two other similar incidents in Canada. We have also discovered that the Medtronic 'Auto-resume' feature may leave future patients uniquely vulnerable to such inappropriate shocks in the future.