The sick sinus syndrome: treatment by permanent transvenous atrial pacing (a new approach).

"Sick sinus syndrome" is characterized by alternating tachyarrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias, diverse origin, generalized conduction abnormalities, and symptoms of heart failure, systemic embolization, and syncope. Proper treatment requires demand atrial or ventricular pacing. A patient with this syndrome was treated with a new transvenous atrial electrode catheter which has successfully controlled her symptoms for 33 months with unrestricted physical activity and without further paroxysms of atrial arrhythmia.