Skip Navigation

Europace 2005 7(6):611-616; doi:10.1016/j.eupc.2005.07.005
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Taieb, Jérôm. M.
Right arrow Articles by Menardis, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Taieb, Jérôm. M.
Right arrow Articles by Menardis, M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 2005 The European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SHORT SERIES REPORT

Left atrial far-field sensing by left ventricular leads: A potential hazard in cardiac resynchronisation therapy

Jérôme Maxime Taieba,*, Claude Barnaya, Cecilia Lindeb, Peter Mortensenc and Marc Menardisd

aService de Cardiologie et des Maladies Vasculaires, Centre Hospitalier du Pays d'Aix Avenue des Tamaris, Aix-en-Provence, 13616 Cedex 1, France; bKarolinska Hospital Stockholm, Sweden; c Aarhus – Denmark; dMedtronic, Inc. France

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) requires a lead advanced through the coronary sinus (CS) to pace the left ventricle (LV). Left atrial far-field signals (LAFFS) may be sensed by the LV lead at the time of implant or after lead dislodgement, and may inhibit ventricular pacing.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of detection of LAFFS > 2 mV and its correlation with the CS lead position.

METHODS: Data from the first 75 consecutive patients enrolled in the InSync III multicentre study were analysed. The position of the LV lead was recorded at implant. During follow-up, pacing was temporarily inhibited and the LV channel electrogram was recorded. The amplitude of LAFFS observed before discharge from the hospital and at 1 month of follow-up was retrospectively analysed. A LAFFS > 2 mV was considered clinically significant.

RESULTS: CRT systems were successfully implanted in 71 of 75 patients. A LAFFS > 2 mV was recorded by the LV lead channel in six of 71 patients (8.5%). This phenomenon developed between hospital discharge and 1 month of follow-up in two of these patients and in one case disappeared within 1 month. It was observed in all CS tributaries except the anterior and mid-cardiac veins.

CONCLUSIONS: Left atrial far-field signals sensed by the LV lead were not rare. Implanting physicians should be aware of this phenomenon in order to prevent potentially serious complications.

Key Words: left atrial far-field signal, atrial far-field sensing, cardiac resynchronisation therapy, biventricular pacing

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +33 442335053; fax: +33 442335169. E-mail address: jtaieb{at}ch-aix.fr


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.