title: Hemodynamics of transcutaneous cardiac pacing.
abstract: Transcutaneous cardiac pacing has recently been rediscovered as a rapid means of initiating emergency cardiac pacing. Potential myocardial injury from extended transcutaneous pacing could adversely affect cardiac hemodynamics during pacing. This canine study compares the hemodynamics of transcutaneous and transvenous cardiac pacing in animals with induced chronic heart block. One to two weeks following chemical ablation of the His bundle, hemodynamic measurements were made during 60 minutes of transcutaneous and 5-minute periods of conventional right ventricular endocardial pacing. Cardiac index and output were found to increase significantly (P less than 0.005), and systemic vascular resistance was found to decrease significantly (P less than 0.005) from baseline values with both pacing techniques. A hemodynamic difference between pacing techniques was evident only for mean arterial blood pressure; pressure measurements during transvenous pacing were slightly greater than those during transcutaneous cardiac pacing. The hemodynamic measurements were found to be stable during a 60-minute period of transcutaneous cardiac pacing. This study demonstrates that transcutaneous cardiac pacing is as effective hemodynamically as conventional transvenous pacing in animals with induced chronic heart block.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Syverud
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hedges
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Dalsey
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gabel
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Engel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D006327:Heart Block / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010313:Partial Pressure; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen