[The development of clinical electrophysiology. Indication, complications and results of 1296 invasive electrophysiologic studies from 1971 to 1981 in Düsseldorf].

The indications, complications and results of 1,296 clinical electrophysiological studies performed in D usseldorf between 1971 and 1981 are reviewed. In the first years, bradycardias (Sick sinus, AV conduction defects) were the main indications, whereas later on tachycardias played the dominant role. This holds especially true for ventricular tachycardias. In these patients, programmed pacing was used to control the efficacy of anti-arrhythmic treatment. The complication rate was low (1%).