Temporary-Permanent Pacemakers are Associated with Better Clinical and Safety Outcomes Compared to Balloon-Tipped Temporary Pacemakers

Background Balloon Tipped Temporary Pacemakers (BTTP) are the most used temporary pacemakers; however, they are associated with a risk of dislodgement and thromboembolism. Recently, Temporary Permanent Pacemakers (TPPM) have become increasingly used. Evidence of better outcomes with TPPM compared to BTTP is still scarce. Materials and methods Retrospective, chart review study evaluating all patients who underwent temporary pacemaker placement between 2014 and 2022 (N=126) in the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) at a level 1 trauma center. Primary outcome of this study is to evaluate the safety profile of TPPM vs BTTP. Secondary objectives include patient ambulation and healthcare utilization in patients with temporary pacemakers. Results Both groups had similar baseline characteristics distribution including gender, race and age at temporary pacemaker insertion (p>0.05). Subclavian vein was the most common site of access for the TPPM cohort (89.0%) vs the femoral vein in the BTTP group (65.1%). Ambulation was only possible in the TPPM group (55.6%, p<0.001). Lead dislodgement, venous thromboembolism, local hematoma, and access site infections were less frequently encountered in the TPPM group (OR = 0.23 [95% CI (0.10-0.67), P<0.001]). Within the subgroup of patients with TPPM, 36.6% of the patients were monitored outside the ICU setting. There was no significant difference in the pacemaker related adverse events among patients with TPPM based on their in-hospital setting. Conclusion TPPM are associated with more favorable safety profile compared to BTTP. They are also associated with earlier patient ambulation and reduced healthcare utilization.