Palliative Care Consultation and Associated End-of-Life Care After Pacemaker or Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Deactivation

Harnessing cell reprogramming for cardiac biological pacing

Electrical impulses from cardiac pacemaker cardiomyocytes initiate cardiac contraction and blood pumping and maintain life. Abnormal electrical impulses bring patients with low heart rates to cardiac arrest. The current therapy is to implant electronic devices to generate backup electricity. However, complications inherent to electronic devices remain unbearable suffering. Therefore, cardiac biological pacing has been developed as a hardware-free alternative. The approaches to generating biological pacing have evolved recently using cell reprogramming technology to generate pacemaker cardiomyocytes in-vivo or in-vitro. Different from conventional methods by electrical re-engineering, reprogramming-based biological pacing recapitulates various phenotypes of de novo pacemaker cardiomyocytes and is more physiological, efficient, and easy for clinical implementation. This article reviews the present state of the art in reprogramming-based biological pacing. We begin with the rationale for this new approach and review its advances in creating a biological pacemaker to treat bradyarrhythmia.

End-Stage/Advanced Heart Failure: Geriatric Palliative Care Considerations

Heart failure remains a condition with high morbidity and mortality affecting 23 million people globally with a cost burden equivalent to 5.4% of the total health care budget in the United States. These costs include repeated hospitalizations as the disease advances and care that may not align with individual wishes and values. The coincidence of comorbid conditions with advanced heart failure poses significant challenges in the geriatric population. Advance care planning, medication education, and minimizing polypharmacy are primary palliative opportunities leading to specialist palliative care such as symptom management at end of life and timing of referral to hospice.

Communication regarding the deactivation of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: A scoping review and narrative summary of current interventions

OBJECTIVES

Communication about deactivation of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy at end-of-life (EoL) is a recognised issue within clinical practice. The aim of this scoping review was to explore and map the current literature in this field, with a focus on papers which implemented interventional studies.

METHODS

Systematic searches of six major databases were conducted. Citations were included by four researchers according to selection criteria. Key demographic data and prespecified themes in relation to communication of ICD deactivation at EoL were extracted.

RESULTS

The search found 6197 texts of which 63 were included: 39 quantitative, 14 qualitative and 10 mixed-methods. Surveys were predominantly used to gather data (n = 34), followed by interviews (n = 18) and retrospective reviews of patient records (n = 18).

CONCLUSIONS

Several key gaps in the literature warrant further research. These include who is responsible for initiating ICD deactivation discussions, how clinicians should initiate and conduct these discussions, when ICD deactivations should be occurring, and family perspectives. Adequately explored themes include patient and clinician knowledge and attitudes regarding ICD deactivation at EoL.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Facilities treating patients with ICDs at EoL should consider ongoing quality improvement projects aimed at clinician education and protocol changes to improve communication surrounding EoL ICD deactivation.

Characteristics of Clinicians Are Associated With Their Beliefs About ICD Deactivation: Insight From the DECIDE-HF Study

Background

Discussing goals of care with heart failure patients is recommended but is not done systematically, due to factors such as time and personal beliefs. A recent survey showed that one-fifth of clinicians believe that implantable cardioverter defibrillator deactivation (ICDD) is unethical or constitutes physician-assisted suicide. We investigated whether individuals’ characteristics are associated with these beliefs.

Methods

The Decision-Making About Goals of Care for Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure (DECIDE-HF) survey was given to healthcare providers at 9 hospitals to assess their perceived barriers to goals-of-care discussions. The association between respondent characteristics and their beliefs was examined using 2 adjusted logistic regression models.

Results

We included 760 clinicians (459 nurses, 94 fellows, and 207 cardiologists). The responses varied among professions, with the belief that ICDD is unethical considered to be important barrier by nurses (24%), fellows (10%), and staff (7%); P < 0.001). After adjusting for site, spirituality being more important in life (odds ratio [OR]: 2.21; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.37-3.56; P = 0.001, compared to less important), region of training (Asia [OR: 5.88; 95% CI: 2.12-16.31; P = 0.001] and Middle East [OR: 5.55; 95% CI:1.57-19.63; P = 0.008] compared to Canada), and years in practice (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.07-1.63; P = 0.01 per decade) influenced beliefs about ICDD being unethical, with similar results for the belief that ICDD represents physician-assisted suicide.

Conclusions

Sociocultural factors, region of training, and profession influence clinicians’ beliefs about ICDD being unethical and representing physician-assisted suicide. These factors and beliefs must be acknowledged when facing the delicate issue of end-of-life discussion.

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator devices: when, how and who should discuss deactivation with patients: a systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are used to treat life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and prevent sudden cardiac arrest. As recipients age they may develop greater risk of dying as a result of progressive multimorbidity rather than sudden cardiac death. Defibrillation shocks may prolong an uncomfortable dying process. Deactivation of the defibrillator would prevent this, yet is not always discussed and planned.

AIM

To systematically review published evidence on ICD deactivation discussions and make recommendations on when, how and who should facilitate effective and patient-centred deactivation discussions.

METHODS

Using standard systematic review methods, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycInfo were searched for studies published in the English language between 2010 and March 2021. Inclusion criteria were studies of adults (≥18 years) and including discussions on ICD deactivation and/or related communication. Included studies were independently reviewed, data extracted, quality assessed and data synthesised using a deductive approach.

RESULTS

Of the 8893 articles identified, 22 papers met the inclusion criteria. Deductive approach led to identification of five main themes: (1) timing of ICD deactivation discussions, (2) initiation of deactivation discussions, (3) advance directives, (4) barriers to discussions and (5) facilitators of discussions.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite available guidelines, conversations on device deactivation are not being undertaken consistently. Evidence suggests lack of professional awareness of guidelines and limited training in communication skills. To prevent distress and promote comfortable dying, there needs to be a proactive clinical and policy initiative in the education of both professionals and patients and their relatives about device deactivation.

Exploring Advance Directive Perspectives and Associations with Preferences for End-of-Life Life-Sustaining Treatments among Patients with Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators

Deactivation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is a critical issue in the advance care planning (ACP) of ICD recipients; however, related perspectives have rarely been explored. Thus, this study aimed to provide an initial investigation of ICD recipients’ perceived susceptibility and barriers/benefits regarding ACP and/or advance directives (ADs), and associations of these modifiable factors with preferences for end-of-life life-sustaining treatments (LSTs) (cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), ventilator support, hemodialysis, and hospice care). Using a descriptive correlational design, 48 ICD recipients (age, 50.1 years; male, 85.4%) completed survey questionnaires. “No burden on family” was the most highly valued (59.1%), followed by “comfortable death” (20.4%), and both (11.4%). LST preference was 43.8% for ventilator support, 45.8% for both hemodialysis and hospice care, and 54.2% for CPR. Perceived susceptibility to having unexpected end-of-life experiences increased the likelihood of preference for aggressive LSTs, with preferences increasing by 15% for CPR, 17% for ventilator support, and 23% for hemodialysis. A non-modifiable factor, older age, was the only predictor of increased preference for hospice care (odds ratio = 1.09, p = 0.016). Among the modifiable factors, a higher perceived susceptibility increased the likelihood of aggressive LST preferences. The findings imply that to facilitate informed decisions for LSTs, early ACP discussion could be helpful and enhance these modifiable factors.

Deactivation of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices in patients nearing end of life : Reality or only recommendation?

BACKGROUND

Current guidelines recommend considering deactivation of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) in patients nearing death. We evaluated the implementation of this recommendation in unselected deceased individuals with CIEDs.

METHODS

Over a 7-month period in 2016, all deceased persons taken to the Rostock crematorium were prospectively screened for CIEDs and these were interrogated in situ. Pacing rate, pacing mode, and lead output were documented as well as patient data including location and time of death. In implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), tachycardia therapy adjustment and occurrence of shocks 24 h prior to death were also recorded.

RESULTS

We examined 2297 subjects, of whom 154 (6.7%) had CIEDs. Of these subjects, 125 (100%) pacemakers (PMs) and 27 (96.4%) ICDs were eligible for analysis. Death in persons with ICDs occurred most frequently in hospital (55.6%), while this was less frequently the case for individuals with PMs (43.2%). Furthermore, 33.3% of subjects with ICDs and 18.5% with PMs died in palliative care units (PCU). Shock therapies were switched off in three (60%) individuals with ICDs who died in the PCU, whereas antibradycardia therapy was not withdrawn in any PM patient in the PCU. Therapy withdrawal occurred in two patients with PMs (1.3%) who died in hospital. Patients with PMs had high ventricular pacing rates at the last interrogation (69 ± 36.0%) and often suffered atrioventricular block (39.2%). Six (25%) of the 24 active ICDs presented shocks near the time of death.

CONCLUSION

Many CIED patients died in hospital; nonetheless, in practice, CIED deactivation near death is rarely performed and might be less feasible in subjects with PMs. However, there is still a need to consider deactivation, especially in individuals with ICDs, as one fourth of them received at least one shock within 24 h prior to death.

Trends in time in the management of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator in the last phase of life: a retrospective study of medical records

BACKGROUND

The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) might give unwanted shocks in the last month of life. Guidelines recommend deactivation of the ICD prior to death.

AIMS

The aims of this study were to examine trends in time (2007-2016) in how and when decisions are made about ICD deactivation, and to examine patient- and disease-related factors which may have influenced these decisions. In addition, care and ICD shock frequency in the last month of life of ICD patients are described.

METHODS

Medical records of a sample of deceased patients who had their ICD implanted in 1999-2015 in a Dutch university (n = 308) or general (n = 72) hospital were examined.

RESULTS

Median age at death was 71 years, and 88% were male. ICD deactivation discussions increased from 6% for patients who had died between 2007 and 2009 to 35% for patients who had died between 2013 and 2016. ICD deactivation rates increased in these periods from 16% to 42%. Presence of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders increased from 9% to 46%. Palliative care consultations increased from 0% to 9%. When the ICD remained active, shocks were reported for 7% of patients in the last month of life. Predictors of ICD deactivation were the occurrence of ICD deactivation discussions after implantation (OR 69.30, CI 26.45-181.59), DNR order (OR 6.83, CI 4.19-11.12), do-not-intubate order (OR 6.41, CI 3.75-10.96), and palliative care consultations (OR 8.67, CI 2.76-27.21).

CONCLUSION

ICD deactivation discussions and deactivation rates have increased since 2007. Nevertheless, ICDs remain active in the majority of patients at the end of life, some of whom experience shocks.

Incorporating patients' preference diagnosis in implantable cardioverter defibrillator decision-making: a review of recent literature

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Strong recommendations exist for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) in appropriately selected patients. Yet, patient preferences are not often incorporated when decisions about ICD therapy are made. Literature published since 2016 was reviewed aiming to discuss current advances and ongoing challenges with ICD decision-making in adults, discuss shared decision-making (SDM) as a strategy to incorporate preference diagnoses, summarize current evidence on effective interventions to facilitate SDM, and identify opportunities for research and practice.

RECENT FINDINGS

Advances in risk stratification can identify patients who will most and least likely benefit from the ICD. Interventions to support SDM are emerging. These interventions present options, the risks, and the benefits of each option, and elicit patients' values and preferences regarding possible outcomes.

SUMMARY

Appropriate patient selection for initial or continued ICD therapy is multifactorial. It requires accurate clinical diagnosis using careful risk stratification and accurate preference diagnosis based upon the patient's preferences. SDM aims to unite the elements that constitute these two equally important diagnoses. High-quality decision-making will be difficult to achieve if patients lack or misunderstand information, and if evolving patient preferences are not incorporated when making decisions.

Practical and ethical considerations in the management of pacemaker and implantable cardiac defibrillator devices in terminally ill patients

More than 4.5 million people worldwide live with an implanted pacemaker, including >3 million in the USA alone. Also, >0.8 million people in the USA have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Knowing the principles of managing these devices towards the end of life is important, as the interruption of their function may have serious consequences. This article provides health care providers who are not specialized in cardiac electrophysiology with an introduction to the general principles of management of pacemakers or ICD devices towards the end of life, with a suggested algorithm for approaching this process. Also discussed are pertinent ethical and practical considerations in deciding on and implementing a management strategy for these devices during terminal illnesses.