The significance of intraventricular electrocardiogram in artificial heart pacing. Observations made on 232 patients.
From 1972-1975, 232 consecutive patients suffering from A/V block were paced intravenously in the Cardiac Department. Medical School, University of Athens. Of these, 124 were female and 108 male. Their age range was between 49 and 85 years. Besides fluoroscopic and threshold control, the intraventricular electrocardiogram (E.C.G.)., recorded from the tip of the electrode, was used as a guide for the accurate positioning of the catheter-electrode in the right ventricle. An injury pattern with an elevation of the ST segment of at least 3 mV and characteristic and steady morphology was obtained when the electrode tip was satisfactorily impacted in the right position. As a consequence of this, an initial stimulation threshold below 0.7 mA was obtained in all cases and pacing failure, due to catheter displacement was noted in only 11 cases (5%), without any apparent increase in the incidence of right ventricular perforation.
D000200:Action Potentials; D000368:Aged; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000150:complications; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors