2015 HRS/EHRA/APHRS/SOLAECE Expert Consensus Statement on Optimal Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Programming and Testing

November 19, 2015—The benefits and risks of ICD therapy for patients are directly impacted by the programming and surgical decisions made by the clinician. This expert consensus statement systemically describes four important clinical issues and addresses programming of bradycardia mode and rate, tachycardia detection, tachycardia therapy, and intraprocedural testing of defibrillation efficacy.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy is clearly an effective therapy for selected patients in definable populations. The benefits and risks of ICD therapy are directly impacted by programming and surgical decisions. This flexibility is both a great strength and a weakness, for which there has been no prior official discussion or guidance. This consensus statement provides a state-of-the-art review of the field and reports the recommendations of a writing group comprised of international experts. The consensus statement includes 32 distinctive recommendations that were approved by an average of 96 percent of the 35 writing committee members.

Visit the HRS Learning Center to access a webinar on the 2015 HRS/EHRA/APHRS/SOLAECE Expert Consensus Statement on Optimal Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Programming and Testing.

Learn how to implement more than 30 recommendations from the document in your clinical practice by viewing this activity, presented by the document Chairs.

See 2019 Focused Update (centered on Appendix B) that relates to the updated manufacturer-specific programming settings/choices based on a compilation of clinical expertise and clinical trial data as reported in this expert consensus statement of which Appendix B is a part.

This document was reaffirmed on October 21, 2020, and will be formally assessed by October 2025.