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Do We Know All the Answers?

Anil K. Bhandari, MD; Shahbudin H. Rahimtoola, MB, FRCP

JAMA. 1984;252(10):1327-1328.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

The past decade has witnessed a rapid increase in the use of pacemakers. In 1981, an estimated 118,000 pacemakers were implanted in patients in the United States.¹ There is a concern that the use of pacemakers may be "excessive"; however, this theory has not been objectively documented. In the current issue of THE JOURNAL, a self-appointed committee² has outlined criteria for permanent cardiac pacing in the treatment of bradyarrhythmias. This report is timely and merits careful reading. Although most of the recommendations made by Phibbs et al² would meet with general approval, others need additional appraisal.

It should be recognized that the report does not evaluate (1) the role of cardiac pacing in the treatment of tachyarrhythmias,³ (2) the role of temporary pacing, or (3) the special problems of bradyarrhythmias in patients with an acute myocardial infarction.⁴

In many clinical situations, the indications for permanent . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
University of Southern California Los Angeles

Footnotes
Address editorial communications to the Editor, 535 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610.

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