The artificial pacemaker and dependency
Monteiro, S.M.; Maia, I.G.; Sá, R.S.; Studart, P.C.; Amino, J.G.; Dohmann, H.F.
Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia 35(6): 469-474
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0066-782X PMID: 7259575 Document Number: 162730
Spontaneous electrical activity of the heart was studied in 50 patients with QRS-inhibited demand pacemaker. This was done by the inhibition of the permanently placed pacemaker by an external generator unit which emitted electrical potentials in the precordial area. During inhibition of the generator unit, the ventricular recovery time (VRT) was determined by the interval (in milliseconds), which was measured from the beginning of the last ventricular depolarization induced by the internal pacemaker to the beginning of the 1st spontaneous QRS activity. According to the VRT obtained, the patients were divided according to their dependence on generator units. Factors which might be related to the VRT are discussed. VRT apparently is related to the level of spontaneous electrical activity of the heart (supraventricular or ventricular, pre-hissian or post-hissian) and the degree of automatic dysfunction in each case.