Comparative study of the effect of pacing mode on the interaction of the right and left ventricles.

This study was designed to evaluate ventricular dyssynchrony from the viewpoint of the interaction of right and left ventricular contractions. Forty-three patients, 24 with sick sinus syndrome, 9 with complete atrioventricular block, and 10 with normal sinus rhythm were involved in this study. Microtip transducer catheters were advanced into both the left and right ventricles and ventricular pressure and the associated dp/dt were recorded simultaneously. Hemodynamic differences in various pacing modes were analyzed using pressure and dp/dt recordings obtained from the left and right ventricles. When an asynchrony between the right and left ventricular contractions existed, the right ventricular positive peak dp/dt developed a dual-peak waveform, the second peak corresponding in time to the peak of the left ventricular positive peak dp/dt. This dual-peak dp/dt waveform was seen with ventricular (VVI) and atrioventricular sequential (DVI) pacing, whereas a single-peak waveform was seen with atrial (AAI) pacing or sinus rhythm. In cases where DVI or VVI pacing modes are selected, an asynchronous effect between contractions of the right and left ventricles may occur, with dual-peak dp/dt of the right ventricle. Because the dual-peak dp/dt waveform indicates ventricular dyssynchrony, reducing the distance from peak I to peak II could maintain the synchronization of the right and left ventricles. It is considered particularly vital to give sufficient consideration to this point in chronic heart failure patients with left bundle branch block requiring biventricular pacing.