Postmortem analysis of a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) can provide useful information about the patient.
Analysis may indicate:
(1) the time of death (based on an abrupt rise in lead impedance)
(2) the presence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias or fibrillation prior to the time of death
(3) problems with the CIED function
The analysis should be performed as soon as possible after death. Postmortem artifacts may occur and fill up the memory if too long an interval occurs.
Barriers to analysis:
(1) no or low battery levels
(2) mishandling of the device
(3) delay in analysis
(4) qualifications of the person performing the analysis
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