title: An argument for pacemaker reuse: pacemaker mortality in 169 patients over ten years.
abstract: Retrospective examination of 169 consecutive pacemaker patient deaths was done to test the hypothesis that early mortality would preclude full utilization of current battery longevity. We found a 58% mortality within two years of the last generator implant. Nineteen percent occurred within six months, and 38% occurred within a year. This compares to a current clinic of 246 patients where 43% have utilized these pacemakers for greater than 48 months. The age comparison shows that those who died were older than the living controls. The 58% 24-month mortality demonstrates that many patients underutilize expected battery life. The economic implications of pacemaker reuse can then be understood.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies