title: The influence of right ventricular stimulation on acute response to cardiac resynchronisation therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The contribution of right ventricular (RV) stimulation to cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) remains controversial. RV stimulation might be associated with adverse haemodynamic effects, dependent on intrinsic right bundle branch conduction, presence of scar, RV function and other factors which may partly explain non-response to CRT. This study investigates to what degree RV stimulation modulates response to biventricular (BiV) stimulation in CRT candidates and which baseline factors, assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, determine this modulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one patients (24 (59 %) males, 67 ± 10 years, QRS 153 ± 22 ms, 21 (51 %) ischaemic cardiomyopathy, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction 25 ± 7 %), who successfully underwent temporary stimulation with pacing leads in the RV apex (RVapex) and left ventricular posterolateral (PL) wall were included. Stroke work, assessed by a conductance catheter, was used to assess acute haemodynamic response during baseline conditions and RVapex, PL (LV) and PL+RVapex (BiV) stimulation. Compared with baseline, stroke work improved similarly during LV and BiV stimulation (∆+ 51 ± 42 % and ∆+ 48 ± 47 %, both p < 0.001), but individual response showed substantial differences between LV and BiV stimulation. Multivariate analysis revealed that RV ejection fraction (β = 1.01, p = 0.02) was an independent predictor for stroke work response during LV stimulation, but not for BiV stimulation. Other parameters, including atrioventricular delay and scar presence and localisation, did not predict stroke work response in CRT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The haemodynamic effect of addition of RVapex stimulation to LV stimulation differs widely among patients receiving CRT. Poor RV function is associated with poor response to LV but not BiV stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, and Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. linawu1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, and Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: de Roest
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, and Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hendriks
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, and Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: van Rossum
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, and Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: de Cock
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, and Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Allaart
keywords: Biventricular stimulation; Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging; Haemodynamic; Right ventricular function; Right ventricular stimulation