Utilization of a Read-Only Pacemaker and Defibrillator Interrogator in the Emergency Department and Hospital.

: There are more than 3 million patients with pacemakers and internal cardioverter defibrillators (also known as cardiac-implanted electronic devices or CIEDs) in the US (1), and the number of patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs) with CIED complications is likely to increase. Patients may present with complaints of chest pain, shortness of breath, sensation of shock, syncope, fatigue or dizziness as a sign of CIED malfunction and the device would need to be interrogated. Earlier studies have demonstrated that CIED interrogation results in a low (~10%) rate of reprogramming (2,3).