Severe syncope due to the application of a pacemaker telemetry wand.
We report a case of a transient defective anodal contact between pacemaker ground plate and patient's tissues (the so-called dry pocket). During unipolar-DDD pacing, mild compression of the pocket with the telemetry head caused a severe syncope, due to asystole and secondary to complete loss of ventricular capture. Normal pacemaker function resumed with bipolar pacing configuration.
Preumont
N
N
Department of Cardiology, Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
De Canniere
D
D
Baroud
I
I
Stoupel
E
E
D004868:Equipment Failure; D006327:Heart Block / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology*