Delays in Temporary and Permanent Pacemakers: Causes and In-Hospital Outcomes

Background Temporary pacemakers frequently serve as a bridge to permanent pacemakers, but placement of the latter may be delayed. This study assessed the causes and in-hospital outcomes of patients with delayed placement of permanent pacemakers. Methods This retrospective study included all patients admitted to the Emergency Department who underwent temporary transvenous pacing in the Department of Cardiology, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan. The duration of hospitalization and the time from temporary to permanent placement were calculated in days. Asystole, infections, cardiac arrest, and death were recorded during the waiting period. Results Of the 260 patients who underwent temporary transvenous pacing, 136 (52.3%) were males and 124 (47.7%) were females, with an age range of 46-78 years. Coronary artery disease was prevalent in 34% of the patients. Only 5% of the patients were on arteriovenous (AV) nodal blocking agents, 44% had complete AV block, 22% had sinus node disease, and 14% had slow atrial fibrillation. The cause of high-degree AV block could not be determined in most patients. Most patients with ischemia- and hyperkalemia-induced AV block recovered. AV blocks induced by ischemia and with no known cause were not reversible, with most of these patients receiving permanent pacemakers. Of the 260 patients with high-degree AV block, 165 (63.5%) recovered. The mean waiting time for permanent pacemaker implantation was 8.7 ± 5.4 days. The waiting time was associated with increased infections and adverse hospital course. Conclusion A longer waiting period between permanent pacemaker indication and implantation is dangerous, as it is associated with an increased risk of adverse events such as infections, syncope, asystole, malignant arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and death.