The use of pacemaking for the treatment of acute arrhythmias. 2.

Temporary cardiac pacing is an effective means of therapy for many arrhythmias and is potentially useful in treating all rhythm disorders except fibrillation. Although the right ventricular pacing is the easiest and most reliable, atrial pacing is in some instances more effective and safer; Atrial pacing is underused and should be considered even for ventricular arrhythmias. There are three methods for pacing: interruption, overdrive suppression, and rapid atrial stimulation. Each has a different physiologic mechanism, and the method must be matched to the arrhythmia under treatment. Pacing is best suited to the acute recurrent arrhythmia which can be suppressed or prevented by short-term pacing.