Due to a potentially fatal manufacturing defect in over 28,000 of their popular pacemakers including the Discover II, Guidant announced a voluntary recall on July 18 th, 2005. This recall was due to the fact that hermetic seal that connected the two halves of the pacemakers could fail and allow moisture to permeate the unit and destroy the delicate electronics inside. Once the electronics malfunctioned the device would no longer provide electrical stimulation to insure proper heart beat.

There have been 69 reports of failure of these units, including 20 cases of improper heart pacing. Five people suffered fainting spells due to pacemaker malfunction and one death may have been attributed to malfunction, although this has yet to be verified.

People who have Discovery II pacemakers should be vigilante for early warning signs of pacemaker failure. These signs include dizziness, fainting, abnormal heartbeat, or shortness of breath. Other warnings of pacemaker malfunction include:

• Increased battery depletion
• Inadequate pacing function
• Early reset warnings
• Early replacement indication

Recognizing these symptoms for what they are could mean the difference between life and death.

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