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Long‐term follow‐up of patients treated with the QT interval sensing rate‐responsive pacemaker
Author(s) -
HEDMAN A.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.625
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1365-2796
pISSN - 0954-6820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2796.1989.tb00101.x
Subject(s) - medicine , qt interval , cardiology , angina , heart rate , electrocardiography , cardiac pacing , rr interval , anesthesia , heart rate variability , blood pressure , myocardial infarction
. Thirty‐seven patients (mean age 70 years) with QT‐interval sensing (TX) rate‐responsive pacemakers were followed for a mean of 27 months. This pacemaker measures the QT interval of the paced beat and, if the QT shortens, the pacing rate increases according to a programmed relationship, the ‘slope’. With TX pacing the heart rate was 56% and the exercise tolerance 15% higher than with fixed‐rate ventricular‐inhibited (VVI) pacing during exercise. Holter ECG monitoring showed a physiological rate variability. Six patients (16%) have died during follow‐up, and programming to the VVI mode was necessary in six patients (16%). The remaining patients were alive with a subjectively adequate TX function at the end of follow‐up. Including the five patients who were on TX pacing at the time of death, satisfactory TX pacing was obtained in 84% of the patients. Although the TX pacemaker has been reliable and provides an adequate rate response during exercise, complaints of worsening angina pectoris and the somewhat complicated programming of the device are problems with the current models.