"Rate Adaptive Cardiac Pacing" provides a comprehensiveoverview of this most advanced form of stimulating the heartby means of cardiac pacemakers that vary the pacing rateaccording to the needs of the patients. The heart rate iscontrolled by one or several sensors that detect variousparameters such as respiration,blood temperature, oxygensaturation, intracardiac pressure, QT interval, strokevolume andbody activity. Besides describing the clinicaland functional characteristics of these various sensors, thebook also gives a clear understanding of hemodynamic aspectsand in particular, all clinical issues of importance such asindications for rate adaptive pacing and selection of theappropriate patients for rate adaptive pacemakers, with manyECG samples. The book also covers new concepts in rateadaptive pacing such as single lead atrial synchronouspacing and the combination of various sensors, which areamong the most recent developments in the field. Withcontributions from the most wellknown experts in the fieldfrom allover the world, this book is the first publicationto cover all the hemodynamic, clinical and technical aspectsof rate adaptive cardiac pacing.

The Evolution of Bradycardia Pacing

I. Basic Concepts
Hemodynamics of the Paced Heart
Chronotropic Incompetence and Natural History of Sick Sinus Syndrome
The Impact of Exercise Metabolism; Catecholamine Levels and Individual Fitness
General Characteristics of Sensors Used in Rate-Adaptive Pacing: The Ideal Sensor Open- and Closed-Loop Concept
Indications for Implanting Rate-Adaptive Cardiac Pacemakers
II. Clinical and Functional Characteristics of Sensors Used for Rate-Adaptive Pacing
Activity-Sensing Rate-Adaptive Pacing
Respiration
Intracardiac Pressure for Rate-Adaptive Pacing
Mixed-Venous Oxygen Saturation
Central Venous Blood Temperature
The QT Interval
Closed-Loop Rate-Adaptive Pacemaker Based on the Ventricular Evoked Response
Impedance-Derived Cardiac Signals: Preejection Interval, Stroke Volume and Ventricular Peak Ejection Rate for Rate-Adaptive Pacing and Antitachyarrhythmia Devices
Stroke Volume: A Hemodynamic Variable for Rate-Adaptive Pacing
III. Electrocardiography of Rate-Adaptive Pacemakers
Electrocardiography of Rate-Adaptive Dual-Chamber (DDDR) Pacemakers: Lower Rate Behavior
Electrocardiography of Rate-Adaptive Dual-Chamber (DDDR) Pacemakers: Upper Rate Behavior
IV. Clinical and Practical Aspects of Rate-Adaptive Pacing
Is Rate-Adaptive Ventricular Pacing Already Obsolete?
AAI and AAI-R Pacing: Clinical and Technical Aspects
Follow Up of Patients with Rate-Adaptive Pacemakers
New Problems with Rate-Adaptive Pacing: Limitations, Adverse Effects, and Interference
Technical Improvement to be Achieved by the Year 2000: Leads and Connector Technology
V. New Concepts in Rate-Adaptive Pacing
Single-Lead Atrial Synchronous Pacing
Automatic Pacemakers
Combinations of Parameters
Future Trends
Visionary Concepts on Implantable Devices.