Naples doctor questions hot tub electrocution
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A Naples doctor is looking closely at a recent medical examiner's ruling that a man was electrocuted by his wife's defibrillator. 85 year old Pat Marino and his wife, 80 year old Mary was in the hot tub of their Ft. Myers home last October. Video by fox4now.com
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NAPLES - A Naples doctor is looking closely at a recent medical examiner's ruling that a man was electrocuted by his wife's defibrillator.
85 year old Pat Marino and his wife, 80 year old Mary was in the hot tub of their Ft. Myers home last October.
As Mary Marino was having a heart episode, her defibrillator, according to the medical examiner, sent out an electrical jolt that killed her husband, Pat.
The devices known as an ICD monitors heart rhythms. If it senses dangerous rhythms, it delivers shocks.
"It's obviously concerning because the question is regarding public safety," said Babak Bozorgina, a Naples cardiac electrophysiologist.
Bozorgnia says there is reason that electrocution by defibulator doesn't immediately make sense.
"The maximum that the battery in these devices can put out is 40 joules," he said. "Just to put that in perspective if someone's heart stops and if EMT guys come into the rescue them, the amount of joules that they use is anywhere from 200 to 300 joules to resituates."
But what about when a defibulator is in water like what happened to the Marinos? "Whether or not it’s possible… I guess nothing is impossible... we don't know the condition."
Bozorgnia also says he sees no problems with people who have a defibrillator using a hot tub, but admits that the issues of electrocutions need to be researched more thoroughly.
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