Introduction Oversensing of extracardiac myopotentials can lead to pacemaker inhibition and loss of cardiac output. We describe 2 similar cases in which oversensing of myopotentials and loss of pacemaker output in pacemaker-dependent patients was caused by a proprietary algorithm designed to prevent T-wave sensing. Switching off the algorithm resulted in return of normal pacemaker function. Kno...

Autonomic control of ventilation is impaired in patients with Ondine's curse or congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), but voluntary control remains intact. Bradyarrhythmias can be life threatening. In a patient with CCHS and long sinus pause requiring cardiac pacemaker insertion, a diaphragmatic pacemaker inserted in early childhood caused diaphragmatic pacer spikes observed durin...

A 71-year-old female patient has a history of complete heart block and recurrent pacemaker site infection requiring multiple pacemaker explanations. A leadless pacemaker using passive fixation was inserted into the right ventricular apex via transvenous approach without complications. This case illustrates the feasibility of implanting a leadless pacemaker system in a small-sized adult with a l...

Correspondence to: Lam Chi Wang, MBChB, FRCS(Edin) Prince of Wales Hospita l , Accident and Emergency Department, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong Email: [email protected] The number of patients with permanent pacemaker are increasing and may present into the emergency department with a variety of complications and malfunctions. The presence of a pacemaker may also affect management of unrelated medic...

Temporary pacemakers are classically indicated for severe bradydysrhythmia, especially when the clinical settings require prompt intervention. Implantation of a temporary pacemaker is not a benign procedure since it may be associated with serious adverse events such as infection, cardiac perforation, and lead dislodgment. Accordingly, we recommend, when the clinical condition allows, to proceed...

OBJECTIVE To determine the costs of a change in permanent pacemaker implantation policy to later implantation (day 21+) after cardiac transplantation. DESIGN Retrospective review of patient records including duration of temporary pacing, timed of permanent pacemaker implantation, and length of hospital stay for every patient surviving > or = 14 days from November 1990 to August 1995 (period 2...

AIMS Recently, some studies revealed the efficacy of pacemaker implantation in decreasing recurrences in patients with vasovagal syncope. As these studies were not blinded or placebo-controlled, the benefits observed might have been due to a bias in the assessment of outcomes or to a placebo effect of the pacemaker. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in order to a...