Minimizing ventricular pacing by a novel atrioventricular (AV) delay hysteresis algorithm in patients with intact or compromised intrinsic AV conduction and different atrial and ventricular lead locations.

PURPOSE: To investigate if an advanced AV search hysteresis (AVSH) algorithm, Ventricular Intrinsic Preference (VIP(™)), reduces the incidence of ventricular pacing (VP) in sinus node dysfunction (SND) with both intact and compromised AV conduction and with intermittent AV block regardless of the lead positions in the right atria and the ventricle.

METHODS

Patients were classified as having intact AV (AVi) conduction if the PR interval was ≤ 210 ms on ECG and 1:1 AV conduction during atrial pacing up to 120 bpm with PR interval ≤ 350 ms. Otherwise the AV conduction was classified as compromised (AVc). Both AVi and AVc patients were randomized to VIP ON or OFF. VIP performed an intrinsic AV conduction search every 30 s for three consecutive atrial cycles with the extension of the sensed and paced AV (SAV/PAV) delays from basic values of 150/200 ms to 300/350 ms. Extended AV intervals were allowed for three cycles when VP occurred before returning to basic AV delays. The primary end-point was %VP at 12 months.

RESULTS

Among 389 patients, 30.1% had intact and 69.9% had compromised AV conduction. The mean %VP at 12 months was 9.6% by VIP compared to 51.8% with standard AV settings in patients with AVi (P < 0.0001) and 28.0% versus 78.9% (P < 0.0001) with AVc. With VIP, excessive %VP among most used lead positions was not seen. Conversely, when VIP was off %VP was low only in patients who had leads in the RA septal-RV septal position (23.0%).

CONCLUSIONS

VIP feature reduces VP both in patients with SND and with intermittent heart block regardless of the lead positions in the right atria and the ventricle.