PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Turner, M S
AU  - Bleasdale, R A
AU  - Mumford, C E
AU  - Frenneaux, M P
AU  - Morris-Thurgood, J A
TI  - Left ventricular pacing improves haemodynamic variables in patients with heart failure with a normal QRS duration
AID  - 10.1136/hrt.2003.011759
DP  - 2004 May 01
TA  - Heart
PG  - 502--505
VI  - 90
IP  - 5
4099  - http://heart.bmj.com/content/90/5/502.short
4100  - http://heart.bmj.com/content/90/5/502.full
SO  - Heart2004 May 01; 90
AB  - Objectives: To assess whether patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and a normal QRS duration can benefit from left ventricular (VDD-LV) pacing. Design: Cardiac resynchronisation is reserved for patients with a broad QRS duration on the premise that systolic resynchronisation is the mechanism of benefit, yet improvement from pacing correlates poorly with QRS duration. In CHF patients with a broad QRS duration, those with a high resting pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) > 15 mm Hg benefit. In this acute haemodynamic VDD-LV pacing study, patients with CHF with a normal QRS duration were divided into two groups—patients with a resting PCWP > 15 mm Hg and patients with a resting PCWP < 15 mm Hg—to determine whether benefit is predicted by a high resting PCWP. Patients: 20 patients with CHF, New York Heart Association functional class IIb–IV, all with a normal QRS duration (⩽ 120 ms). Interventions: Temporary pacing wires were positioned to enable VDD-LV pacing and a pulmonary artery catheter was inserted for measurement of PCWP, right atrial pressure, and cardiac output. Results: In patients with a PCWP > 15 mm Hg (n  =  10), cardiac output increased from 3.9 (1.5) to 4.5 (1.65) l/min (p < 0.01), despite a fall in PCWP from 24.7 (7.1) to 21.0 (6.2) mm Hg (p < 0.001). In patients with a PCWP < 15 mm Hg there was no change in PCWP or cardiac output. Combined data showed that PCWP decreased from 17.0 (9.1) to 15.3 (7.7) mm Hg during VDD-LV pacing (p < 0.014) and cardiac output increased non-significantly from 4.7 (1.5) to 4.9 (1.5) (p  =  0.125). Conclusions: Patients with CHF with a normal QRS duration and PCWP > 15 mm Hg derive acute haemodynamic benefit from VDD-LV pacing.