Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology
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J. Cardiovasc. Electrophysiol. · Sep 2004
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAutomatic recognition of abnormal respiratory events during sleep by a pacemaker transthoracic impedance sensor.
A number of pacemakers use transthoracic impedance to derive minute ventilation as a sensor for rate adaptation. Transthoracic impedance is also able to track fluctuations in tidal volume occurring in sleep apnea/hypopnea syndromes (SAS). We evaluated the feasibility of a transthoracic impedance-derived pacemaker algorithm for monitoring sleep respiratory disturbances. ⋯ The RDI monitoring function appears to be of value in screening pacemaker patients for SAS. Its performance is comparable to existing simple screening techniques. The ability to permanently monitor respiration, in combination with other diagnostic capabilities (such as Holter functions), presents a unique opportunity to monitor the association between arrhythmias and disturbances of breathing during sleep.