pacemaker syndrome
A collection of symptoms including fatigue, dizziness, and dyspnea caused by loss of atrioventricular synchrony in paced patients.
Full Definition
Pacemaker syndrome is a clinical condition that occurs when there is loss of physiologic timing between atrial and ventricular contractions in patients with cardiac pacemakers. This typically results from ventricular pacing without atrial sensing, leading to retrograde conduction and atrial contraction against closed atrioventricular valves. Patients may experience fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, or syncope. The condition is most commonly seen with single-chamber ventricular pacing modes and can often be resolved by upgrading to dual-chamber pacing systems that maintain atrioventricular synchrony.
Usage
Usage note: Often hyphenated in clinical documentation; avoid confusing with device malfunction.
In Context
- "The patient's symptoms of fatigue and dyspnea resolved after upgrading from VVI to DDD pacing to eliminate pacemaker syndrome." — Clinical case report
- "Pacemaker syndrome should be considered in any patient experiencing new onset symptoms following device implantation." — Medical device manual