Doppler-duplex evaluation of common carotid artery flow for programming of dual chamber pacemakers

ABSTRACT

To determine the hemodynamic outcome of different atrioventricular (AV) intervals in dual chamber pacing we examined 20 patients with pacemakers (Relay, Cosmos; Intermedics) by doppler-duplex sonography, recording the flow-veloity time profile in the common carotid artery (CTF). The pacemakers were programmed to a fixed heart rate of 70 min. The CTF was recorded at different AV-intervals in AV-sequential pacing and the in single-chamber pacing (VVI). The measurements showed that setting of an optim AV-delay by doppler-duplex evaluation of the carotid artery is able to provide an average improvement in CTF of 25 por cento comparing the most unfavorable to the optimal AV-delay. Considreing different pacing modes Av-senquential pacing was superior to VVI-pacing. In conclusion these result demonstrate the importance of an individual optimal AV-delay setting and the usefulness of doppler-duplex sonography of the common carotid artery for optimal programming of dual chamber pacemakers.