These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Pacing to prevent atrial fibrillation.
    Author: Israel CW, Hohnloser SH.
    Journal: J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol; 2003 Sep; 14(9 Suppl):S20-6. PubMed ID: 12950513.
    Abstract:
    INTRODUCTION: Pacing has been proposed as a nonpharmacologic treatment option to prevent atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATs) in drug-refractory patients. This article reviews the current state of pacing to prevent ATs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Different pacing modalities have been assessed with regard to their ability to prevent AT: conventional DDDR pacing with elevated lower rate limit, biatrial pacing, dual-site right atrial pacing, atrial septal pacing, and pacing with the use of dedicated pacing algorithms. Small studies suggest a benefit of conventional pacing for AT prevention in patients with bradycardia, but a randomized trial did not reveal any AT reduction by conventional pacing in patients without bradycardia. AT prevention by biatrial or dual-site right atrial pacing has been reported in small studies, but randomized trials did not show a clear benefit of these pacing techniques. Small studies showed a reduced AT recurrence rate in patients with septal pacing at the triangle of Koch or at Bachmann's bundle. Two large randomized trials with preventive pacing algorithms showed a significant AT reduction compared to conventional pacing, but this was not confirmed in four trials. CONCLUSION: Pacing seems to be able to suppress ATs in a minority of patients; however, prospective identification of responders to different pacing modalities does not appear to be feasible at the present time.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]