title: The use of beep-o-grams in the assessment of automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator sensing function.
abstract: Noninvasive assessment of sensing performance in the automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator is limited by the absence of telemetry or memory functions. The adaptation of the electrophysiological test mode into a "beep-o-gram" recording, with simultaneous audible tones and a surface electrocardiogram, was used in the confirmation of sensing malfunction. Eleven of 13 recordings in patients with documented or clinically suspected inappropriate defibrillator discharges (group 1) demonstrated evidence of definite oversensing. Nonspecific oversensing or undersensing was present in 77% of 27 randomly selected asymptomatic patients without known sensing malfunction (group 2). The sensitivity and specificity for identifying definite oversensing was 85% and 60%, respectively. The beep-o-gram system is a reliable, noninvasive means of confirming sensing malfunction in the automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Its specificity is limited by the detection of subclinical sensing aberrations, to some degree related to the device's automatic gain control sensing algorithm.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio 44195.
authors: S L
authors: SL
authors: Ballas
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Rashidi
authors: H
authors: H
authors: McAlister
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Corbelli
authors: R
authors: R
authors: McCowan
authors: B L
authors: BL
authors: Wilkoff
authors: L W
authors: LW
authors: Castle
authors: V A
authors: VA
authors: Morant
authors: T W
authors: TW
authors: Simmons
authors: J D
authors: JD
authors: Maloney
mesh_terms: D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013637:Tape Recording