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Summary

Description

The ventricular rate of the patient is about 72 beats/minute and it would appear that there is a p wave in front of each QRS complex. The "pr" interval is a little short at about 120 ms. The pacer should have started to pace he atrium when set at 100/min. The failure to do so suggests that the pacing system is non-functional (depleted pacemaker battery, broken lead etc.) or that the pacer is sensing an atrial rhythm faster than 100/min. In this case the pacer is sensing an SVT with an atrial rate of about 150/min. which explains the lack of pacing when the pacer is set to 100/min. The treating physician decided to leave the patient in this rhythm. It is interesting to note that some SVTs and atrial fibrillation can "cure" a sick sinus patient of their bradycardia and the need for a pacemaker. In those cases though that convert to atrial fibrillation anticoagulants are usually considered.

Category

Case reports by Michael Rosengarten

Source

EKG World Encyclopedia http://cme.med.mcgill.ca/php/index.php , courtesy of Michael Rosengarten BEng, MD.McGill

Date

2012

Author

Michael Rosengarten BEng, MD.McGill

Permission

Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License

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current10:04, 17 February 2012Thumbnail for version as of 10:04, 17 February 20123,004 × 600 (647 KB)DarrelC (talk | contribs)

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