Long-term reliability of AAI mode pacing in patients with sinus node dysfunction and low Wenckebach block rate

  • Adachi, Masamitsu
  • Igawa, Osamu
  • Yano, Akio
  • Miake, Junichiro
  • Inoue, Yoshiaki
  • Ogura, Kazuyoshi
  • Kato, Masaru
  • Iitsuka, Kazuhiko
  • Hisatome, Ichiro

  • 1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tottori University Hospital, 36-1 Nishimachi, Yonago 683-8504, Japan

    2Division of Regenerative Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Genetic Medicine and Regenerative Therapeutics, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Tottori University Graduate School of Medical Science, Yonago, 683-8504, Japan

Received 12 October 2007; accepted after revision 11 December 2007; online publish-ahead-of-print 16 January 2008

*Corresponding author. Tel: +81 859 386517; fax: +81 859 386519. E-mail address: [email protected]

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Europace 10(2):p 134-137, February 2008.

Aims

To compare the risk of atrioventricular (AV) conduction disturbance between patients with sinus node dysfunction on AAI pacing who had a low or high Wenckebach block rate (WBR).

Methods and results

Patients with sinus node dysfunction and normal AV conduction those underwent an electrophysiological study were studied. The patients were classified into two groups: Group L was with the patients with a WBR of 100 to 129 per minute and Group H was with the patients with a WBR ≥ 130 per minute. All patients followed up every 3–6 months after an AAI pacemaker implantation. A total of 102 patients, including 35 Group L and 67 Group H, were followed for 90 ± 44 months. Six patients died from non-cardiac cause and five patients required a new atrial lead implantation due to lead failure during follow-up. Symptomatic bradycardia requiring a new ventricular lead implantation developed in four patients (annual incidence 0.5%). In Group L, two patients developed AV block (annual incidence 0.7%). In Group H, two patients developed bradycardic atrial fibrillation (annual incidence 0.4%). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.2983).

Conclusion

These results suggest that a long-term risk of developing AV conduction disturbance is low even in patients with a WBR of 100 to 129 per minute.

Copyright © Copyright Oxford University Press 2008.