title: [Do steroid-eluting pacemaker electrodes permit programming at lower pacemaker pulse amplitudes?].
abstract: A study was undertaken on 107 patients (68 men, 39 women; mean age 68 [29-100] years) with steroid-eluting ventricular electrodes to determine whether in general these electrodes make it possible routinely to set pacemaker impulses at 2.5 V instead of 5.0 V with an impulse duration of 0.5 ms. 3-12 months after implantation, impulse duration thresholds were 0.27 +/- 0.20 ms at 0.8 V, 0.13 +/- 0.09 ms at 1.6 V and 0.08 +/- 0.05 ms at 2.5 V impulse amplitude. Thus, employing a 100% margin of safety, it was possible to set the pacemakers of 103 among the 107 patients at 2.5 V and 0.5 ms. In four patients it was not possible to achieve the 2.5 V and 0.5 ms setting. With one exception (stimulation threshold rose immediately after a current accident) no circumstances arose under which thresholds increased. These results demonstrate that, using steroid-eluting electrodes, ventricles can be reliably stimulated with 2.5 V and 0.5 ms in 96% of patients. However, since it is not possible in all patients, optimal stimulation parameters must be determined in each patient even when steroid-eluting electrodes have been implanted.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Kardiologie, Universitäts-Krankenhaus Eppendorf.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schuchert
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kuck
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meinertz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000628:therapy; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone
vernacular_title: Gestatten steroidfreisetzende Schrittmacherelektroden eine Programmierung auf niedrigere Schrittmacher-Impulsamplituden?