Abstract

Since we last discussed pacemakers¹ the reliability and life span of cardiac pacemakers have much improved so that drugs now have little place in the management of chronic heart block.² Perhaps 12,000 – 20,000 patients with chronic heart block in the United Kingdom need a pacemaker,^{3 4} it has been estimated that in the USA over 50,000 people wear one.^{5 6} This article discusses the equipment used for long-term pacing.