Pacemaker Reuse in Portuguese Speaking Countries: A Clinical Reflection

There is a gap between high-income countries and others in terms of access to medical cardiac devices, such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Costs are one of the main barriers to the use of cardiac devices in these countries. There are international initiatives that aim to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia 2023-01, Vol.120 (2), p.e20210941
Main Authors: Lima, Neiberg de Alcantara, Rocha, Eduardo Arrais, Damasceno, Albertino, Costa, Ieda Prata, Ricardo, José Ribeiro Bunda, Lopes, Fernando Jorge, Dias, Luis, Soares, Miryan Bandeira Dos Prazeres Cassandra, Puroll, Eric, Eagle, Kim A, Crawford, Thomas C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arrhythmias, Cardiac - therapy
Defibrillators, Implantable
Humans
Pacemaker, Artificial
Portugal
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Summary:There is a gap between high-income countries and others in terms of access to medical cardiac devices, such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Costs are one of the main barriers to the use of cardiac devices in these countries. There are international initiatives that aim to reduce the gap. The reuse of pacemakers has been discussed as a possible alternative to this problem. The concept of reusing pacemakers is not new; however, recent studies have proven to be safe, ethical, and effective for those who need cardiac implantable electronic devices and cannot afford them. Part of the Portuguese-speaking countries, especially in Africa, need an immediate response that benefits their countless patients who suffer from treatable arrhythmias.
ISSN:1678-4170
DOI:10.36660/abc.20210941