Why the study?
How does a rate-responsive pacemaker respond to the physiological changes of pregnancy and cesarean section compared to normal sinus rhythm?
How does a rate-responsive pacemaker respond to the physiological changes of pregnancy and cesarean section compared to normal sinus rhythm?
Rate-responsive pacemakers may not mimic the normal gradual heart rate increase during pregnancy but can respond to specific stimuli like fetal movement and surgical stress during cesarean section.
Rate-responsive pacemakers may not replicate normal pregnancy HR rise; single case leaves open need for gestation-specific device adjustments.
The function of a rate-responsive pacemaker was monitored during pregnancy and cesarean section in a woman with complete atrioventricular block. The observations during pregnancy were compared to similar observations obtained in a pregnant normal woman of comparable age, height and weight, and in 12 normal women during elective cesarean section. During pregnancy, the heart rate increased in the normal woman, whereas the pacing rate in the woman with the implanted pacemaker was unchanged. Fetal movement caused an increase in pacing rate in the 37th week of gestation, whereas the heart rate in the normal woman did not respond. During cesarean section the pacing rate was generally within the mean +/- 1 SD for normal women.
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Andersen et al. (1989) studied this question.
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