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Abstract
Although electrical energy has the potential to produce myocardial injury, the risk
of tissue damage from transcutaneous cardiac pacing is largely unknown. This study
reports the anatomical findings of a canine transcutaneous stimulation study. Ten
dogs had 100-mA, 20-msec (pulse duration), transcutaneous impulses delivered across
the thorax for 30 minutes at a rate of 80 stimuli per minute. Seventy-two hours later
the animals were sacrificed, and the heart, lungs, and tissues of the chest wall were
examined for pathological changes. Gross and microscopic lesions consistent with electrically
induced myocardial damage were found in all hearts examined. These lesions included
myocardial pallor and focal myofibril coagulation necrosis in the right ventricular
outflow tract and perivascular microinfarcis in the posterior left ventricular myocardium.
These lesions were not extensive; less than 5% of the right ventricular free wall
and less than 1% of the left ventricular posterior wall were involved. Lesions of
this extent would not be expected to cause clinically detectable changes in cardiovascular
status. Short-term use of transcutaneous pacing appears to be safe. Determination
of the potential for clinically significant injury with long-term use requires further
study.
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Article Info
Publication History
Accepted:
October 30,
1984
Received in revised form:
October 15,
1984
Received:
March 12,
1984
Footnotes
☆Presented at the Fifth Purdue Conference on CPR and Defibrillation, West Lafayette, Indiana, September 25–26, 1984.
Identification
Copyright
© 1985 Published by Elsevier Inc.
