[Hemodynamic complication of ventricular stimulation in a patient with moderate aortic stenosis]

This report is concerned with a patient aged 76 with mild to moderate aortic stenosis and transient A-V block who was treated by stand-by intracardiac pacing. In spite of this, the patient continued to present syncopal attacks. It is demonstrated that these episodes were related to dramatic decreases of systolic blood pressure and cardiac output occurring whenever the right ventricle was paced. These hemodynamic alterations were secondary to the loss of atrial contribution to ventricular filling. They were suppressed by insertion of a sequential auriculoventricular pacemaker.