Rate smoothing with cardiac pacing for preventing torsade de pointes

Cardiac pacing remains one of the most effective means for preventing torsade de pointes in patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS). However, fatal arrhythmias may occur despite combined therapy with beta blockers and pacing, and it is possible that failure of cardiac pacing for preventing arrhythmias in the long run is related (at least in part) to suboptimal pacemaker programming. Preventing sudden pauses may be especially important for preventing arrhythmias in the LQTS because such pauses are highly proarrhythmic in this patient population. Unfortunately, properly functioning pacemakers cannot be expected to prevent postextrasystolic pauses. The use of a pause-prevention pacing algorithm-rate smoothing-for preventing pause-dependent torsade de pointes is described in 12 patients with cardiac arrest or syncope due to congenital LQTS who were followed for 21 +/- 11 months.