title: Subcostal 2D echocardiography in cardiac pacing and intracardiac electrophysiologic studies.
abstract: In 180 patients with permanent and temporary right ventricular pacing catheters, the anatomical position of the pacing catheter was determined by subcostal 2D echocardiography. The entire pacing catheter length in the right heart was scanned in all patients and contact between the pacing catheter tip and endocardium was visualized. Complications, such as myocardial wall perforation, dislocation, minimal displacement and flotation of the pacing catheter, were accurately detected. Subcostal 2D echocardiography was also successfully used in 40 patients for advancing and positioning electrode catheters in intracardiac electrophysiologic studies. Subcostal 2D echocardiography is superior to precordial echocardiography and radiological methods for determining the pacing catheter position and to fluoroscopy in electrode catheter positioning.
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial