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Case Reports
. 2025 Jul 24;17(7):e88663.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.88663. eCollection 2025 Jul.

Should LifeVest Be Worn During Shower: A Case Report

Vinh Sieu Lam  1   2 , Kim Huyen Huynh  3 , Phillip Tran  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Should LifeVest Be Worn During Shower: A Case Report

Vinh Sieu Lam et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

The wearable cardioverter-defibrillator (WCD), or LifeVest (ZOLL Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei company, Tokyo, Japan), is designed for continuous monitoring and immediate treatment of patients at high risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Due to a lack of water resistance and inability to operate safely in wet conditions, current guidelines recommend wearing the device at all times except for short periods, such as during showering. We present the case of an 88-year-old male with complex coronary artery disease, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and permanent atrial fibrillation who experienced cardiac arrest and ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) during a shower when not wearing his LifeVest. Immediately after he lost consciousness, his wife promptly reattached the LifeVest, which stabilized his condition with a shock delivered by the device. This case highlights potential risks during device-free periods and the limited data on compliance and outcomes in these intervals. Further study is needed to assess risks and explore solutions that allow for the device's removal for short periods and enhance the patient's safety.

Keywords: coronary artery disease; icd; ischemic cardiomyopathy; lifevest; permanent atrial fibrillation; sudden cardiac arrest; ventricular fibrillation; wearable cardioverter-defibrillator.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Informed consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. ECG strips showed that the patient had a V-fib event and was resuscitated with LifeVest.
(A) A V-fib event was terminated by a LifeVest shock of 150 J (blue arrow), resulting in restoration of normal sinus rhythm. (B) Fifteen minutes after the event, normal sinus rhythm remains stable.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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