VENTRICULAR-TACHYCARDIA IN A RATE RESPONSIVE CARDIAC-PACEMAKER PATIENT

The authors report a case of syncopal ventricular tachycardia in a patient with a respiratory-dependant rate responsive pacemaker, followed-up for valvular heart disease with severe left ventricular dysfunction and sustained atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. The introduction of low dose betablocker therapy with reinforcement of the treatment of cardiac failure controlled the ventricular arrhythmia, after suppression of the date responsive function had been shown to be ineffective. The authors discuss the role of the rate responsive function in the triggering of the ventricular tachycardias.