Wearable automatic defibrillators are a viable option for patients at high risk of sudden cardiac death but ill-suited for surgery or permanent device implantation, according to a scientific statement by the American Heart Association.
Such wearables have been FDA approved since 2002. These devices, which currently take the form of a fisherman-style vest worn under clothes, can be an alternative to implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) as they provide similar electric shocks in the event of rhythm abnormalities.
