Nerve Conduction Studies Safe For Patients With Implanted Cardiac Devices

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Nerve Conduction Studies Safe For Patients With Implanted Cardiac

Devices

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=54748

Patients with implanted cardiac devices and their physicians

sometimes defer important electrodiagnostic testing because of

anxiety about potential negative effects the testing may have on the

device. Good news for these patients and physicians is that

according to recent research, electrodiagnostic testing was found to

pose minimal or no risk to patients with implanted cardiac devices

such as permanent pacemakers and implanted cardiac defibrillators.

Nerve conduction studies (NCSs) are done to detect and evaluate

damage to the peripheral nervous system, which includes all the

nerves that lead away from the brain and spinal cord and the smaller

nerves that branch out from those nerves. Nerve conduction studies

are often used to help diagnose nerve disorders, such as carpal

tunnel syndrome or Guillain-Barre syndrome, and find the location of

abnormal sensations, such as numbness, tingling, or pain.

The prevailing view among electrodiagnostic physicians and cardiac

electrophysiologists, is that electrodiagnostic testing on patients

with implanted cardiac devices is safe as long as the electrical

stimulation is not given in direct proximity to the pulse generator

of the cardiac device. Recording from intracardiac sensing

electrodes during NCSs, which has not been previously reported,

would be the best test to assess safety.

In a recent study, 10 patients with permanent bipolar pacemakers of

various makes and 5 patients with implanted cardiac defibrillators

(ICD) underwent nerve stimulation at sites commonly used during

NCSs. The electrical impulses generated during routine NCSs were

never detected by the sensing amplifier of the pacemaker or

defibrillators. The NCS did not affect the programmed pacemaker or

defibrillator settings and did not cause the defibrillator to

discharge. The pacemaker and defibrillator were interrogated before

and after NCSs and surface electrocardiogram and atrial and

ventricular electrograms were continuously monitored during NCSs.

The research concluded that routine NCSs are safe in patients with

implanted cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators with bipolar sensing

configurations.

The complete findings and results of the study are being presented

at the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic

Medicine (AANEM) 53rd Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, at the

Marriott Wardman Park, October 11-14, 2006. The AANEM is the largest

organization worldwide, with over 5000 members, dedicated to

advancing neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and electrodiagnostic

medicine.

American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine

(AANEM)

421 First Ave SW, Ste 300E

Rochester, MN 55902

United States

http://www.aanem.org