Low chronic pacing thresholds of steroid-eluting active-fixation ventricular pacemaker leads: a useful alternative to passive-fixation leads.
Active-fixation pacemaker leads enable pacing at various sites, have a low dislodgment rate, and are easier to extract than passive-fixation leads, though are usually not routinely implanted in the ventricle because of their higher pacing threshold. The long-term pacing threshold associated with an active-fixation steroid-eluting lead was prospectively measured in 18 women and 20 men. At a mean follow-up of 14 months (range 3-25 months), pacing threshold increased from 0.71 +/- 0.29 V to 0.96 +/- 0.28 V (P = 0.01) between implant and the first month of follow-up, then remained stable over time, consistently allowing the long-term programming of the ventricular output at 2.5 V, while lead impedance remained stable (from 647 +/- 161 omega at implant to 666 +/- 122 omega at last follow-up). If the long-term performance of this type of lead is confirmed, the routine implantation of ventricular steroid-eluting active-fixation leads should be considered since lead extraction has become a major concern.
Hidden-Lucet
F
F
Service de Cardiologie, Hôpital Jean Rostand, 39-41 rue Jean Le Galleu, 94200 Ivry sur Seine, France.
Halimi
F
F
Gallais
Y
Y
Petitot
J C
JC
Fontaine
G
G
Frank
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004343:Drug Implants; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D004343:Drug Implants; D003907:Dexamethasone; C018038:dexamethasone acetate