Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy As mentioned in Chapter 1, one relatively new approach in cardiac pacing is biventricular pacing or cardiac resynchronization. This is pacing of patients with congestive heart failure…
Dual-chamber Pacing: Special Considerations Permanent Dual-Chamber Pacing In Chapter 5, we discussed types of pacemakers and the hemodynamics of pacing, so now we can take a closer look at some…
Types of Pacemakers and the Hemodynamics of Pacing Permanent Pacemaker Types Pacemaker Code The pacemaker code is a mechanism to briefly describe types of pacemakers (Table 5-1). The code has…
Programmability and Specialized Circuits Permanent Pacemaker Programmability Programmability often allows for noninvasive correction of pacemaker malfunction, optimizing battery life and adjustment of the pacemaker to the patient’s physiologic needs, which…
Principles of Pacemaker—Myocardial Interaction Permanent Pacemaker–Myocardial Interaction The interaction between the pacemaker generator lead and the living body leads to complex interactions; a simplified explanation of some of the interactions…
Pacemaker Technology Permanent pacemaker technology The cardiac pacemaker is an electric circuit in which a battery provides electricity that travels through a conducting wire through the myocardium, stimulates the heart…
Indications for Pacing Indications For Permanent Pacemaker Therapy Any physician implanting pacemakers must be familiar with the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/North American Society Pacing Electrophysiology (now termed the…
Bradycardias Clinical Syndrome Sinus node dysfunction is characterized by disorders of impulse formation in and conduction out of the sinus node (see Table 11-1). Electrocardiographically these abnormalities in sinus node…
Antiarrhythmic Drugs Antiarrhythmic drugs are widely used in clinical electrophysiology to both prevent and terminate arrhythmias. The drugs can also be used to slow arrhythmias to make them hemodynamically tolerated…
Noninvasive Diagnostic Testing The Electrocardiogram The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) provides an enormous amount of useful information for the prediction of arrhythmia risk. QRS Interval Prolongation in the QRS interval with…
