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Rapid Ventricular Pacing in a Pacemaker Patient Undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Author(s) -
FONTAINE JOHN M.,
MOHAMED FEROZE B.,
GOTTLIEB CHARLES,
CALLANS DAVID J.,
MARCHLINSKI FRANCIS E.
Publication year - 1998
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 - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.1998.tb00202.x
Subject(s) - medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , cardiac pacemaker , cardiac pacing , lead (geology) , cardiology , artificial cardiac pacemaker , ventricular pacing , radiology , heart failure , geomorphology , geology
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) generates potent electromagnetic forces in the form of a static, gradient, or pulsed radiofrequency magnetic field that can result in pacemaker malfunction. This report documents a case of rapid cardiac pacing during MRI in a patient with a dual chamber pacemaker. Although the mechanism of rapid cardiac pacing is unclear, it was directly related to radiofrequency pulsing. We postulated that the lead acts as an antenna for radiofrequency energy that interacts with the pacemaker's output circuit, thus, causing cardiac pacing at a cycle length representing a multiple of the repetition time; or perhaps rapid pacing is related to induced currents generated between the MRI unit and the pacing lead.