Programmed stimulation for long-term treatment and non-invasive investigation of recurrent tachycardia.
Eleven patients with recurrent tachycardia refractory to drugs were treated by a pacemaker system that consisted of an implanted QRS triggered stimulator activated by the application of stimuli to the patient's skin. These skin stimuli are derived by a small control box carried about in the pocket or handbag and which the patient holds in his hands to make contact with the electrode plates during a tachycardia attack. If the heart rate is higher than the preset value on the control box, timed stimuli are delivered to the skin. The tachycardia is stopped by a premature ventricular contraction induced during the "termination window", a period that occurs very soon after the refractory period. The skin impulses continue to be delivered until the tachycardia stops. The eleven patients were followed up for more than 2 1/2 years and about 2000 episodes were reliably stopped by this pacemaker system. Patients do not feel the skin stimuli and there were few complications.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D012008:Recurrence; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D012867:Skin; D013614:Tachycardia, Paroxysmal / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors