Sunday, April 02, 2006

LIFECOR - LifeVest

LIFECOR - LifeVest: "

When to Use the LifeVest™ System

The LifeVest was designed as an intermediate-term treatment option for people at high risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Right now, people at a high, short-term risk of SCA are typically monitored in a hospital intensive care (ICU) or coronary care unit (CCU). With monitored beds costing up to $2,000 a day, this option quickly becomes very expensive and is primarily reserved for critical care patients.

Patients with a high, long-term risk of SCA are often candidates for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), but this option is also expensive (up to $65,000) and requires surgery. According to Morgan Stanley, only one out of six US patients who need an ICD actually get one.*

The LifeVest fills the therapeutic gap between hospitalization and an ICD. The LifeVest has the same important characteristics of both an ICU/CCU and the ICD; it continuously monitors the heart and is designed to provide prompt defibrillation when needed. LIFECOR®, Inc. believes that the LifeVest has the potential to become the standard of care for intermediate-term patients. And, in cases when an ICD is not feasible, it also can serve as a longer-term alternative."

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