Premium
Advanced Pacemaker Diagnostic Features in the Characterization of Atrial Fibrillation: Impact on Preventive Pacing Algorithms
Author(s) -
YANG ALEXANDER,
HOCHHÄUSLER MARC,
SCHRICKEL JAN,
BIELIK HELGA,
SHLEVKOV NIKOLAY,
SCHIMPF RAINER,
OTTO SCHWAB JÖRG,
ESMAILZADEH BAHMAN,
SCHNEIDER CHRISTIAN,
MELLERT FRITZ,
WELZ ARMIN,
SABOROWSKI FRIEDHELM,
LÜDERITZ BERNDT,
LEWALTER THORSTEN
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1046/j.1460-9592.2003.00039.x
Subject(s) - medicine , atrial fibrillation , ambulatory , cardiology , atrial flutter , sinus rhythm , algorithm , proarrhythmia , artificial cardiac pacemaker , computer science
YANG, A., et al .: Advanced Pacemaker Diagnostic Features in the Characterization of Atrial Fibrillation: Impact on Preventive Pacing Algorithms.Pacing algorithms to prevent PAF are mainly based on the suppression of premature atrial complexes (PACs), which play an important role in its initiation. In contrast to 24‐hour ambulatory electrocardiograms, advanced pacemaker (PM) diagnostic features are capable of recording AF episodes during long follow‐up periods and of characterizing AF in a detailed fashion. For the specific use of these algorithms, a detailed characterization of AF was performed in 91 dual chamber PM recipients with histories of AF. Fifteen patients with episodes of oversensing due to far‐field signals or frequent episodes of “2:1‐undersensing” of atrial flutter were excluded. The remaining 76 patients had high recurrence rates of AF (median 0.8 episodes/day), however, the majority of episodes lasted <7 minutes. Despite frequent PACs (median 10.8/hour) during sinus rhythm, a median of 66.4% of the AF episodes were preceded by <2 PACs/min before onset. In conclusion, frequent, short‐lived AF episodes seem best suited for AF preventive pacing therapies. However, the small number of PACs preceding many AF episodes may limit the efficacy of PAC suppressing algorithms. (PACE 2003; 26[Pt. II]:310–313)