[Permanent pacemaker therapy in a community with many elderly people].
To clarify the utility of permanent pacemakers in a society composed largely of elderly people, clinical characteristics, pacemaker characteristics, outcome, and quality of life in a total of 116 patients in a community with many (19.6%) elderly people were evaluated after permanent pacemaker implantation. Patients above age 65 accounted for 88.8%, while those above 80 years accounted for 24.1%. Syncope was the most common observation before pacemaker implantation and emergency care was needed in 35% of patients. Sick sinus syndrome and complete AV block were seen in a majority, while atrial fibrillation with bradycardia was seen in a minority of patients. Although the physiological pacing and ventricular pacing mode (VVI) were used in about 50% each, recently the physiological pacing mode has markedly increased. During the mean follow-up of 26.1 +/- 16.2 months, only four patients died. NYHA 3 symptom improved to NYHA 1 after pacemaker implantation and 72.5% patients of all cases returned to their jobs. We conclude that the permanent pacemaker is effective in improving symptoms and reducing the death rate in elderly patients.
Department of Internal Medicine, Futami Central Hospital.
I
I
Inoue
A
A
Takanashi
T
T
Inoue
R
R
Yamauchi
N
N
Kodama
M
M
Terada
G
G
Konemori
K
K
Suenaga
A
A
Wakamoto
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D003154:Community Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life