pace-terminate
Successful termination of tachycardia using overdrive pacing techniques without requiring cardioversion.
Full Definition
The successful termination of a tachyarrhythmia using pacing techniques, typically overdrive pacing at rates faster than the intrinsic tachycardia cycle length. Pace-termination is a key therapeutic modality for reentrant tachycardias, including ventricular tachycardia and supraventricular tachycardia. The technique involves capturing the reentrant circuit and interrupting the perpetuating mechanism. Success depends on appropriate pacing site selection, drive cycle length, and number of pacing impulses. Modern devices incorporate sophisticated antitachycardia pacing algorithms. Documentation should specify pacing parameters, number of attempts, and post-termination rhythm.
Usage
Usage note: Document specific pacing parameters and success/failure rates when describing pace-termination attempts.
In Context
- "The ventricular tachycardia was successfully pace-terminated with 8 beats at 350ms cycle length." — Device therapy report
- "Failed to pace-terminate despite multiple ATP attempts, requiring cardioversion therapy." — ICD interrogation note