Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyRandomised controlled trial

The Predictive Value of Impedance for Defibrillation Success After S-ICD Implantation

JACC Clin ElectrophysiolPublished

  • Randomised Trial
  • multicenter

Authors' conclusion

Impedance <90 ohms predicts DFT success with a NPV of 98% but misses 50% of DFT failures and is therefore an insufficient surrogate for DFT. Impedance might serve as an intraoperative tool to estimate correct implant position, but this should always be confirmed with imaging to ensure effective shock delivery. (A Randomised Trial of S-ICD Implantation With and Without Defibrillation Testing [PRAETORIAN-DFT]; NCT03495297).

Study context

Population
Patients undergoing subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantationrandomized, 457 underwent defibrillation testing (DFT) according to protocol
Participants
965 patients
Comparison
Predictive values of impedance and the PRAETORIAN score for DFT success, using a cutoff of 90 for both values
  • Successful DFTn = 445
  • Failed DFTn = 12

Primary result

As reported in the abstract

Impedance

Failed DFT

87

median · IQR 63–108

Successful DFT

68

median · IQR 57–78

P = 0.014

Further findings

Impedance <90 ohms for predicting successful DFT

NPV
98%
Sensitivity (one-half of failed DFTs had impedance ≥90 ohms)
50%

PRAETORIAN score <90 for predicting successful DFT

NPV
99%
Sensitivity
70%
Higher positive likelihood ratio and lower negative likelihood ratio than impedance

Original publication

The Predictive Value of Impedance for Defibrillation Success After S-ICD Implantation. JACC Clin Electrophysiol. Published 11 June 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jacep.2026.05.004

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it