[Studies on faint attack due to arrhythmias with Holter electrocardiogram]

Out of 1,400 Holter ECGs, 15 records revealed arrhythmias which would be responsible for faint attack, including 8 sick sinus syndrome with cardiac arrest, 4 non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), 2 paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and 1 paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. All of cardiac arrest corresponding to faint attack lasted for longer than 4 sec, and an averaged duration of the arrest was 5.8 +/- 2.3 sec. This was significantly longer than that with no subjective symptoms, 3.4 +/- 0.7 sec. Duration and rate of VT did not show any significant relationship with faint attack. The result suggests that cardiac arrest is mostly responsible for arrhythmia-induced involvement of cerebral circulation and faint attack. It is also suggested that cardiac arrest longer than 4 sec should be extensively treated including pacemaker implantation.