First Steps Toward a Pacing Algorithm for Vasovagal Syncope

Vasovagal syncope is commonly associated with an intermediate fall in heart rate. Consequently, it seemed possible that a pacemaker algorithm designed to detect intermediate heart rate falls might prove useful as a diagnostic tool to initiate pacing therapy. Subsequent experience suggests that with such an approach it is still difficult to avoid “false‐positive” detection of physiologic heart rate slowing (e.g., sleep). On the other hand, findings from several reports suggest that high rate pacing using this algorithm has proved clinically effective.