The prognostic value of pharmacologic stress myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with permanent pacemakers.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study is to assess the prognostic value of pharmacologic stress (adenosine or dipyridamole) myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with permanent electronic ventricular pacemakers.


RESULTS
Between October 1986 and December 1995, 93 patients with pacemakers underwent pharmacologic stress testing with myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography imaging. Follow-up information on 91 patients (98%) was obtained. Mean follow-up was 5.6 +/- 2.4 years. Previously published clinical and image variables were analyzed for their prognostic significance with regard to cardiac death, cardiac death/nonfatal myocardial infarction, and cardiac death/nonfatal myocardial infarction/late revascularization. The presence of a high-risk scan was a significant predictor of subsequent cardiac death by both univariate (chi 2 = 9.4, P < .001) and multivariate analysis (chi 2 = 6.5, P = .01) after adjustment for clinical score. Clinical score was not a significant predictor of cardiac death.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that pharmacologic stress myocardial perfusion imaging provides significant prognostic information in patients with permanent pacemakers. In this population, pharmacologic stress myocardial perfusion imaging can differentiate patients at high risk of a subsequent cardiac event from those at low risk. These results support the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline recommendations for pharmacologic stress perfusion imaging in patients with permanent pacemakers.
Lapeyre
André C
AC
Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. alapeyre@mayo.edu
Poornima
Indu G
IG
Miller
Todd D
TD
Hodge
David O
DO
Christian
Timothy F
TF
Gibbons
Raymond J
RJ
D000241:Adenosine; D000368:Aged; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000401:mortality*; D004176:Dipyridamole; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality*; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014665:Vasodilator Agents
D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D004176:Dipyridamole; D000241:Adenosine