Positional convulsant syncope in a pacemaker patient following insulation break of the right ventricular lead

Abstract

SUMMARYIn spite of the advances made in the technology of pacemakers which resulted in a decrease in the incidence of pacemaker lead fracture, the latter remains a potential complication of implanted pacemakers manufactured in the early days. In this report, we present a case of fracture of the unipolar electrode diagnosed by an emergency physician in a patient on a pacemaker for 10 years who presented to the emergency department with positional convulsant syncopes. BACKGROUND

Positional loss of pacemaker capture in a patient for hemi‐arthroplasty

“…Positional disruption of pacemaker function has been described as a consequence of chest wall compression [1] or movement of the upper limbs [2] related to lead fracture. In these cases, syncopal events can be a symptom of pacemaker malfunction, although usually these lead to a loss of output from the pacemaker.…”