End-of-Life Pacemaker Function

Report:

Sinus rhythm 75 – 77/min 1

Third degree AV block 2

Pacemaker rhythm 31/min 2

Probable battery depletion 5

Comment:

Pacemaker interrogation revealed “end-of-life” battery function, set to bipolar VVI mode at 63/min, but obviously firing at half that rate.

Many patients tolerate profound bradycardia surprisingly well. This one was asymptomatic at rest; one measure of his comfort is the normal sinus rate (unless he also suffered from chronotropic incompetence – but this was not a good time to test it).

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