The use of external, noninvasive pacing for the termination of ventricular tachycardia in the emergency department setting.

Abstract

To determine the potential usefulness of external cardiac pacing for the termination of sustained ventricular tachycardia in the emergency department setting. Five men and one woman (mean age, 57 years) who presented to the ED with a wide-complex, hemodynamically stable tachycardia that was later proven to be ventricular in origin. Each patient underwent external overdrive pacing using a modified external pacemaker at a pulse amplitude of 120 mA and a rate of 200 pulses per minute. In all six patients, external cardiac pacing was able to successfully terminate tachycardia without complication. We conclude that external noninvasive pacing may be an effective means of terminating ventricular tachycardia in the ED setting.