Experience of a Small British Pacing Centre between 1994 and 2000: Some Answers to the Problem of Low UK Implantation Rates

Abstract

Raigmore is a district general hospital offering a permanent pacemaker service to its catchment population of 233,500. This report reviews the pacemaker practice over a seven year period (1994 to 2000) and makes a comparison with the national database and other hospitals in the UK. The records of all patients receiving new implantions for the period under observation were reviewed retrospectively. Data collected included number of patients paced each year, age, sex, indications and complications. In the 84 months studied 3/71 patients received new permanent pacemakers (the mean age was 74 years and 51% were male). The most common presenting symptoms were syncope (62%), dizzy spells (24%), and heart failure (11.5%). The most common indication for permanent pacemaker insertion was complete atrioventricular block (58%) followed by sick sinus syndrome (20%). The implantation rate was 419.3/million population/year in 2000. Pacemaker modes used were appropriate and the early and late complication rates were low (2.7%). This current audit demonstrates continued growth of the service with low-complication rates and implantation rates which approach those in Western Europe and North America.

Effects of Transvenous Pacing on Cardiac Troponin Release

“…There did not appear to be any recruitment bias. The patients recruited are representative of the general population of patients referred for PPM in Great Britain, in terms of age, sex, symptoms, indications for pacing, and proportion of types of PPM inserted 34–36 …”

MAMI registration report 1996–2010

“…Analysis of the results will lead us to draw conclusions and raise new hypotheses [4,5]. We now have data of 31766 interventions.…”