Impact of AV conduction disorders on SafeR mode performance.
OBJECTIVE
CAN-SAVE R is a Canadian multicenter study that compares the effects of a new pacing mode algorithm designed to minimize right ventricular (V) pacing versus DDD mode with a long atrioventricular (AV) delay in a general population of pacemaker (PM) recipients.


METHODS
Patients with permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) or high-degree AV block (AVB) were excluded. We present preliminary data collected in 208 patients (mean age=71 +/- 11 years, 68% men), for the 2-month baseline period during which all PM were programmed in the new pacing mode. The pacing indications were sinus node disease (SND) without AVB in 39%, AVB without SND in 30%, SND and AVB in 16%, and miscellaneous in 15% of patients.


RESULTS
The mean percent V pacing in the overall population was 9.5 +/- 23.8% (range=0-100%, median <1%), ranging between 0.5 +/- 1.5% (median=0) in patients without AVB and 18.7 +/- 31.2% in patients (median = 1) with AVB. Adverse events potentially related to the new pacing mode were observed in two patients with AVB.


CONCLUSIONS
A new pacing mode was effective and safe in a general population of PM recipients without permanent AVB and was associated with an overall <1% median V pacing. CAN-SAVE R will compare the long-term effects of the new pacing mode with DDD with a long AV delay on clinical outcomes and cardiac function.
Thibault
Bernard
B
Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ablation2000@videotron.ca
Simpson
Christopher
C
Gagné
Carl-Eric
CE
Blier
Louis
L
Senaratne
Manohara
M
McNicoll
Serge
S
Stuglin
Carlo
C
Williams
Randy
R
Pinter
Arnold
A
Khaykin
Yaariv
Y
Nitzsche
Remi
R
D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D054537:Atrioventricular Block / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002170:Canada; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome