antitachycardia pacing
Also written as: ATP — Antitachycardia Pacing
A low-energy ICD therapy that uses rapid pacing pulses to terminate ventricular tachycardia without delivering a shock.
Full Definition
Antitachycardia pacing (ATP) is a painless, low-energy therapy delivered by ICDs to terminate monomorphic ventricular tachycardia by pacing the heart at rates faster than the tachycardia rate. This overdrive pacing technique can reset the reentrant circuit responsible for the arrhythmia, restoring normal rhythm without the need for high-energy cardioversion. ATP is typically programmed as the first-line therapy for stable VT episodes, as it is more comfortable for patients and preserves battery life compared to shock therapy.
Usage
Usage note: Always hyphenate the compound term; commonly abbreviated as ATP in clinical contexts.
In Context
- "Antitachycardia pacing successfully terminated 85% of VT episodes without requiring shock therapy." — Clinical outcomes analysis
- "The ATP algorithm was programmed with three attempts before escalating to cardioversion." — ICD programming worksheet