A survey of investigations performed prior to permanent pacemaker implantation

摘要

SIR—Permanent pacemaker implantation is a highly effectiventreatment for bradycardia which is most commonlynused in older patients, pacemaker recipients in the UK havingna mean age of 76 years [1]. However, pacemakernimplantation rates in the UK are substantially lower thannin most other European countries; currently 468 per millionnof population compared with the Western European averagenof 700 per million [2–4]. There is also significant variation innpacemaker implantation rates between different regions ofnthe UK, which persists when differences in population demographicsnare corrected for [4, 5]. The reasons for the lownUK pacing rate and regional variation are not known, butnrestricted access to investigations has been considered as anpossible explanation [6]. However, contemporary data onntests performed prior to pacemaker implantation are lacking.nWe have recently audited delays to pacemaker implantationnin a UK cohort [7] and now describe how patients are identifiednfor pacing and the investigations they undergo prior tondevice implantation.