Nearly 3 million people worldwide live with pacemakers, and each year over 600,000 more are implanted. Guidelines for meaningful use of such technology have been difficult to come by, especially with regards to use of single versus dual-chamber pacemakers. In response to these concerns by practicing cardiologists, The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) and the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) have recently published a consensus statement to guide pacemaker and mode selection in daily practice.
“This document represents the first recommendations specific to pacing devices and mode selection for the individual patient and provides a framework for clinicians and healthcare administrators to select the best possible therapy to optimize patient outcomes,” said co-lead author Anne M. Gillis, MD, president of HRS, in a release.
It should be noted that these recommendations are intended only in clinical situations where the decision to implant a pacemaker has already been made. The guidelines do not provide firm guidance on whether or not to use a pacemaker. Nevertheless, this statement comes as a much-needed boon for electrophysiologists and cardiologists worldwide, and represents a model to innovate around for designers of newer pacemakers.
Full text article (PDF): HRS/ACCF Expert Consensus Statement on Pacemaker Device and Mode Selection