Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Motor vehicle crash risk after cardioverter-defibrillator implantation: a population-based cohort study
Main findingResult — go to the resultAdjusted hazard ratio 0.71 95% CI 0.61–0.83Authors' conclusion
Crash risk is lower in the 6 months after ICD implantation than among matched controls, likely because individuals reduced their road exposure in order to comply with contemporary postimplantation driving restrictions.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals with a first implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation, British Columbia, Canada, 1997–2019matched cohort
- Participants
- 9,373 vs 28,119
- Exposure
- ICD implantation vs matched controls
- ICDn = 9,373
- Controlsn = 28,119reference
- Outcome
- Involvement as a driver in a crash attended by police or resulting in an insurance claim
- Follow-up
- First 6 months after ICD implantation
Methodological detailspopulation-based, age and sex matched to three controls
- Population-based
- Age and sex matched to three controls
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
6 months
Adjusted hazard ratio
0.71
95% CI 0.61–0.83
P < 0.001
Events by group
ICD
296
events
Controls
1077
events
ICDvs Controls
adjusted HR 0.71 (95% CI 0.61–0.83); P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Crash risk by primary vs secondary prevention ICD (subgroup)
- Results similar after stratification by primary vs secondary prevention ICD
Traffic contraventions
- ICD patients had more contraventions than controls in the 3 years before implantation but fewer in the 6 months after
Original publication
Motor vehicle crash risk after cardioverter-defibrillator implantation: a population-based cohort study. Heart. Published 25 September 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →