Intermediate
Technical
IVT
pacing artifact
The electrical spike visible on an ECG that represents the pacemaker's stimulation pulse.
Full Definition
A pacing artifact, also called a pacing spike, is the brief electrical signal that appears on electrocardiographic recordings when a pacemaker delivers a stimulation pulse. The artifact's morphology, amplitude, and timing provide important diagnostic information about device function. In modern devices, artifacts may be barely visible due to low-energy pulses, while older devices typically produce more prominent spikes. The presence, absence, or abnormal characteristics of pacing artifacts help clinicians assess capture, sensing, and lead integrity during device follow-up.
In Context
- "The pacing artifact was clearly visible but no ventricular capture was observed." — Device clinic note
- "Modern bipolar pacing often produces minimal pacing artifacts on surface ECG." — Technical manual
Also known as
pacing spike
stimulus artifact
Don't confuse with
QRS complex
noise artifact