Authors' response: This case was used to illustrate the importance of nursing communication. The patient's ablation procedure took place in a cardiac catheterization laboratory. The code actually occurred later, while the patient was in a medical/surgical unit, not in the PACU. The ICD hadn't been interrogated or reprogrammed.

The current status of an ICD may not be apparent to the providers involved in a patient's periprocedural care. Our intent was to highlight a patient-safety issue and to ensure that these lifesaving devices can perform when needed. Clearly, patients require continuous cardiac monitoring with readily available emergency drugs and equipment while the ICD is deactivated.

The adverse event report that provided the basis for our article can be viewed at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfMAUDE/Detail.cfm?MDRFOI__ID=868724.

Roberta Sullivan RN, BSN, MPH

Ann Ferriter BS

Rockville, Md.

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