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ICD and seat belt-Yes or No?
Hi,my name is Predrag (Brugada syndrome) reason for installing ICD.
At first ,sorry if my English is a little bit rusty...In my country is possible to avoid to wear--use seat belt if you have an ICD patient card. But because here traffic is so awful ,i am in big dilemma what to do? I am frightened about wire damage (Europian driver side in car). Any personal experiences in car collisions???
And small reminder for moderator or similar: in list of countries there is no "Serbia" which exists as a European country since the tenth century,because I was forced to choose Slovenia.
Thank in advance for answers
10 Comments
Yes, I use mine...
by Lurch - 2014-10-26 07:10:28
Immediately following my implantation, I used a small towel under the seat belt where it touched my chest. Stopped needing it after a couple of weeks.
In the US, you are still required to wear a seat belt, even with an ICD.
In my 40 year career, responded to a huge number of crashes. I can attest to the fact that seat belts do in deed save lives!
YES
by Tracey_E - 2014-10-26 07:10:37
You can be seriously hurt in a minor accident without a seatbelt. The odds of damaging the device in an accident are very very small. The odds of getting hurt going through the windshield are 100%
Use extra padding - if needed
by Theknotguy - 2014-10-26 08:10:19
Use extra padding - such as towel over the pacemaker site. The seat belt is more important.
After 4 weeks the pacemaker leads will be incorporated into the body so there is no danger of them being pulled out by the seat belt.
Drive safely.
Welcome to the Pacemaker club.
ICD and seat belt-Yes !
by Enrique - 2014-10-26 10:10:50
You can buy a padding that wraps the belt around the leads and the pacemaker. They are kept in place with velcro.They are not expensive.
No need to stop using seatbelts, they save lives.
Air bag is designed to work with seatbelt
by SaraTB - 2014-10-27 02:10:14
Judy, what you do is obviously your choice, but please be aware that airbags are designed to work in conjunction with a seatbelt. Without the restraining effect of the belt, the airbag can injure you. I'm not attempting to change your mind, but want anyone reading your post to understand that an airbag alone isn't much security.
buy a velcro hold pad
by joelcr3 - 2014-10-27 07:10:55
I got a pad which wraps around and holds on with vecro can move it into position. It fells good.
seat belt
by judyblue - 2014-10-27 12:10:39
oh I'm going make some of you mad. I do not wear a seat belt because my pm site is terribly painful to the touch. am I really an idiot? I don't think so. I also ride a motorcycle without a seat belt. Hey! They don't come with them! I am a hundred times safer in a car without a seat belt than on a motorcycle if I get in a collision. What I cannot do is tolerate pain for my 45 minute drive one way to work and back 5 days a week. No towel, pad etc. has made it comfortable. I decided to take my chances with just the air bag. Sorry for the controversy!
judy
Judy: Yes you are...
by donr - 2014-10-29 10:10:20
....an impatient woman tempting fate.
Don't put the padding on top of the PM, put it BELOW the PM & above it so that the belt is raised OFF the sore area. If necessary, use duct tape to hold the padding in place on the belt.
If you get hit & the airbag deploys w/o the seat belt, you'll hurt one heck of a lot more than with the belt on - that is IF you survive the crash. The steering column impaling you through the sternum can turn your heart into hamburger. The bag is only open & protecting you for fractions of a second. And - only during the early part of a head-on collision when your body pivots forward at the waist & your head pivots forward at the neck. The bag protects you by stopping the torso & head during the early, high acceleration, portion of the impact. Then it rapidly collapses. I have a friend (Note the present tense of the word "Have.") who totaled his wife's car in a collision w/ a semi & trailer. He would up w/ terrible chest pains & a wickedly bruised face from the bag deployment. BUT - no other injuries. (Had the seat belt on.) Said the car finally stopped & he could not figure out what all the fine white dust was from. There was a big pile of plastic bag hanging from the steering wheel. He did not even remember SEEing or FEELing the bag deploying & smacking him in the face. It happens that fast. Car was totaled.
Go fix your seat belt as I described.
Donr
Modified seat belt use.
by cussacat - 2014-11-03 01:11:55
Hey, gang. I am totin' a SJM 3 lead job, which has 24/7 tenderness at vein entry. Tried using a pad, adjustment up and down....the works. All tries resulting in uncomfortable distraction to paying attention to driving. I finally solved my problem by taking the across the chest part and putting it behind my back, leaving the lap portion in place. Not as restraining in an accident, but would still keep me from being thrown through the sunroof. I feel much safer not being distracted by the discomfort of pressure on my unit.
Cussacat out...........have fun.
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Seat belts save lives
by Grateful Heart - 2014-10-26 07:10:07
It has been proven time and again. Some of us have discomfort when wearing a seat belt but you are really putting yourself at risk by not wearing one. You can use a seat belt cover or even a small towel as a cushion between the seat belt and device area if necessary.
Many fatalities occur by being thrown from the auto when not wearing a seat belt. It happens all the time so please wear your seat belt.
Grateful Heart