Sequential transvenous pacing and shock therapy for termination of sustained ventricular tachycardia

Rapid ventricular pacing and transvenous shocks are both effective in terminating sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) only in selected patients. We prospectively examined efficacy and safety of an algorithm for VT termination combining rapid ventricular pacing with low and moderate energy transvenous shocks in patients with sustained VT. Sixty-three VT episodes in 23 patients, mean age 64 +/- 12 years, were treated with the algorithm. Bursts of rapid ventricular pacing and transvenous shocks were delivered with a Medtronic 6880 catheter positioned in the right ventricular apex. VT episodes with cycle lengths greater than 270 msec (group A) were treated with sequential therapy with rapid ventricular pacing (90%, 80%, and 70% of VT cycle length), low energy transvenous shocks (0.5 to 2.7 J), and moderate energy (2.7 to 10 J) transvenous shocks. Rapid VT episodes with cycle lengths less than 270 msec (group B) were treated with moderate energy transvenous shocks directly. Forty-one of 48 (85%) VT episodes in group A and 6 of 15 (40%) VT episodes in group B were successfully terminated by this algorithm. There was no difference in clinical or arrhythmia characteristics between responders and nonresponders in either group A or group B to the algorithm. VT acceleration was observed in 12% of episodes in group A and in 47% of episodes in group B. We conclude that an algorithm combining rapid ventricular pacing with low and moderate energy transvenous shocks is effective for VT termination in episodes with a cycle length greater than 270 msec and can reduce the need for transthoracic cardioversion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)