[The carotid sinus pressure test--a screening method for the demonstration of latent bradycardial arrhythmias].

100 patients with peripheral arteriosclerotic obstructive disease were examined for latent bradycardic disturbances of the rhythm by means of the pressure experiment on the carotid sinus under screening conditions. 57% of the arteriosclerotics had sinus-auricular or atrioventricular blockings, 67% of them an asystole over 3 s. In 84% of the cases this asystole was conditioned by a sinus-auricular block. In a comparative group of the same age only a retardation of the sinus rhythm was found. An asystole over 3 s in a pressure experiment on the carotid sinus refers to an endangering by Morgagni-Adams-Stokes-attacks, since the substitution pacemaker in form of the secondary stimulation formation system insufficiency compensatorily steps into the breach. Particularly endangered seem to be patients with additionally bradycardizing medicaments (glycosides, antihypertensive drugs, beta-receptor blockers, antiarrhythmic drugs) which frequently and combined are prescribed in arteriosclerotics with hypertensive cardiac disease. In synopsis with anamnesis, findings of the examinations and the ECG-analysis with and without pressure experiment on the carotid sinus can be decided on the actual therapy up to the pacemaker implantation. The method proved to be suitable as screening and preliminary examination before the prescription of the medicaments mentioned above when performed correctly and the contraindication was taken into consideration. It is to be discussed whether before recommendation of the broad application of the pressure on the carotid sinus without possibility of reanimation a phase of another testing should precede.