Background:

the implantable cardioverter defibrillator is a sophisticated and multifunctional device to treat life-threatening arrhythmias. With increasing numbers of recipients implanted due to rapid technical development of devices and enlarged implantation indications, the consequences for recipients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator daily life has attracted increased attention during the last decade.

Aim:

to illuminate the main concern of individuals living with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and how they handle this in their daily life.

Design and method:

the grounded theory method was used. Sixteen Swedish recipients (9 men) who had lived with a defibrillator for 6 to 24 months were interviewed. Data was collected and analysed in a simultaneous process according to guidelines for classic grounded theory. 

Results:

in the analysis, a conceptual model was generated explaining the main concern of recipients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and how they handle this in their daily life. The core category, labelled "Living with uncertainty" illuminates the main concern of the recipients. To handle uncertainty the recipients used the following strategies: Restricting one’s activities, Distracting oneself, Accepting one’s fate and Re-evaluating one’s life.

Conclusions:

Recipients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator were not paralyzed by the uncertainty they experienced. Instead, they handled the uncertainty by using different strategies which may produce a sense of perceived control to initiate a living process that facilitates physical and social activities.

Relevance to clinical practice:

this study suggests that nurses should support recipients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator to handle uncertainty and contribute by optimizing the recipients sense of perceived control in daily life and thereby personal growth.