1.
J S C Med Assoc
; 83(9): 485-6, 1987 Sep.
Artículo
en Inglés
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-3478521
2.
Pacing Clin Electrophysiol
; 9(6 Pt 2): 1295-8, 1986 Nov.
Artículo
en Inglés
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-2432550
RESUMEN
Retrospective examination of 169 consecutive pacemaker patient deaths was done to test the hypothesis that early mortality would preclude full utilization of current battery longevity. We found a 58% mortality within two years of the last generator implant. Nineteen percent occurred within six months, and 38% occurred within a year. This compares to a current clinic of 246 patients where 43% have utilized these pacemakers for greater than 48 months. The age comparison shows that those who died were older than the living controls. The 58% 24-month mortality demonstrates that many patients underutilize expected battery life. The economic implications of pacemaker reuse can then be understood.