Introduction Inadequate cardiac output is associated with poor outcome following cardiac surgery and is generally modified by use of inotropic agents, volume resuscitation and epicardial pacing. Although temporary epicardial pacing is frequently utilised post-cardiac surgery, the potential impact of determining the optimal R-R interval in the critically ill has largely been ignored. Echocardiog...

There have been few reports on the use of closed loop cardiac pacing in patients suffering from refractory neurocardiogenic syncope. The optimal pacing algorithm using closed loop cardiac pacing has not been well studied. We herein present our single center experience on the specific pacing algorithm, which has been successful in almost 84% of patients.

Implantable cardiac pacing systems are a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic irreversible bradycardia. Under the proper indications, cardiac pacing might bring significant clinical benefit. Evidences from literature state that the action of the artificial pacing system, mainly when the ventricular lead is located at the apex of the right ventricle, produces negative effects to cardiac ...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The effect of cardiac resynchronization therapy on antitachycardia pacing still has to be determined. PATIENTS AND METHOD A total of 490 heart failure patients with an indication for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator participated in the VENTAK CHF/CONTAK CD study, a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. We compared antitachycardia pacing effic...

OBJECTIVES We determined the short-term effects of single-chamber ventricular pacing and dual-chamber atrioventricular (AV) pacing on directly measured sympathetic nerve activity. BACKGROUND Dual-chamber AV cardiac pacing results in greater cardiac output and lower systemic vascular resistance than does single-chamber ventricular pacing. However, it is unclear whether these hemodynamic advant...

Over a six year period, 92 patients intoxicated with either digitoxin or digoxin were admitted to our ICU. Fifty-one patients were treated with cardiac pacing and/or Fab fragments, and the mortality rate was 13% (14 were intoxications with digoxin, 36 with digitoxin, 1 was mixed). Forty-five cases were suicide attempts; six were accidental overdosages. Since cardiac pacing may trigger fatal arr...

Kawai, Hiroya, Amy Mohan, Jason Hagen, Erdan Dong, Jacqueline Armstrong, Suzanne Y. Stevens, and Chang-seng Liang. Alterations in cardiac adrenergic terminal function and b-adrenoceptor density in pacing-induced heart failure. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 278: H1708– H1716, 2000.—Congestive heart failure is associated with cardiac adrenergic nerve terminal changes and b-adrenoceptor density ...

AIMS We investigated whether biventricular (BiV) pacing favourably affects cardiac sympathetic activity in heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS In 10 HF patients treated with BiV pacing, we assessed cardiac sympathetic activity by metaiodobenzylguanidine ((123)I-MIBG) imaging. Patients were randomized in a double-blinded crossover fashion, for two weeks of either inactivation of BiV pacing...

The hemodynamic changes associated with complete heart block complicating acute myocardial infarction and the effects of artificial pacing at various rates on these measurements were studied in 13 patients. Studies were performed on the first day of complete block in all patients and were repeated on subsequent days in six. With two exceptions cardiac output was increased by pacing. In patients...

Clinical trials in patients with pacemakers for sinus node dysfunction or atrioventricular block (AVB) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators provide increasing evidence showing that desynchronization of ventricular electrical activation and contraction, induced by conventional right ventricular apex (RVA) pacing, is a serious threat for long-term cardiac morbidity and mortality. The risk ...