Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators in Children with Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A multi-Center descriptive study

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a condition in which the heart's ventricles (lower chambers) become enlarged and weakened, leading to impaired pumping function. An Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) is a small, battery-powered device surgically implanted in the chest to detect and treat life-threatening, fast heartbeats by delivering electrical shocks to correct dangerous arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. The objective of the study is to characterize children with DCM who receive ICDs and describe overall outcomes as well as risk factors for ICD complications and inappropriate ICD shocks.

Inova Fairfax Medical Campus: 
3300 Gallows Road 
Falls Church, VA 22042

• Clinical diagnosis of DCM
  • Left ventricular dilation (left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV) >2 standard deviations above normal for body surface area) AND left ventricular systolic dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <2 standard deviations below normal for body surface area).
• ICD placed between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2022.
• Age between 5-25 years at time of ICD implantation

• Patients with congenital heart disease aside from small septal defects and patent ductus arteriosus not requiring intervention and minor valvular anomalies
• Patients with tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy
• Note that patients with muscular dystrophies will NOT be excluded