ICD driving guidelines

Introduction

American Heart Association (AHA), Heart Rhythm Society (HRS)

Guidelines for ICD placed for primary prevention

• All ICD wearers should avoid driving for at least 1 week after ICD placement.
• After the 1-week wait period, asymptomatic patients who received their ICDs for primary prevention need not have their driving restricted. However, they should be informed that loss of consciousness is possible.
• Once an ICD that was implanted for primary prevention delivers appropriate therapy for VT or VF, the wearer should be subject to the driving guidelines for secondary-prevention ICDs, especially if symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion accompanied the arrhythmic episode.
• The driving guidelines for people with secondary-prevention ICDs still stand.
• The guidelines for both primary- & secondary-prevention ICDs apply only to private drivers, not to commercial drivers, whose driving activities are appropriately subject to stricter regulations.
• The AHA/HRS statement does not carry the force of law, for which government entities are obviously responsible.

People with a history of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) should not drive a motor vehicle for 6 months after the arrhythmic event.

More general terms

• clinical practice guideline (CPG)

Additional terms

• implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)