Pacemaker Vs. Defibrillator

Both pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are used to treat heart irregularities in patients. While they are similar in some ways, there are also differences between them.
  1. Both Are Internal

    • Both pacemakers and ICDs are surgically implanted inside patients.

    Monitoring

    • Both pacemakers and ICDs contain components that monitor the heart to detect irregularities in heartbeat.

    Electricity

    • Both pacemakers and ICDs use electricity to maintain heartbeat regularity.

    Complexity

    • ICDs are more complex devices than pacemakers, which are relatively simple.

    Strength of Electricity

    • Although both pacemakers and ICDs use electrical impulses to maintain heartbeat regularity, an ICD is capable of delivering much more powerful shocks than a pacemaker.

    Heart Attacks

    • In case of a heart attack, an ICD is capable of delivering large shocks that can help to keep a patient alive. Although a pacemaker can help to reduce the likelihood of a heart attack, it is not going to save a patient from a heart attack already in progress.

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