Riata lead failure presenting as a life-threatening electrical storm: A novel manifestation of electrical lead failure

The Riata and Riata ST family of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads are prone to a unique type of structural failure involving exteriorization of the conductor cables, which may present as electrical failure. We report a mode of lead failure that occurred in a patient with a Riata 1570 series dual coil 8F lead. In this case, the first appropriate shock for ventricular fibrillation resulted in noise, that in turn led to recurrent inappropriate shocks and proarrhythmia, that clinically mimicked a life-threatening electrical storm.