Evaluation of rapid atrial pacing in diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Evaluation of atrial pacing test.

Seventeen patients presenting with anginal-type pain were studied by bicycle exercise testing, rapid atrial pacing, and coronary angiography. Ten patients with angina and abnormal pacing tests at rates less than 180/minute were found to have significant coronary artery disease as demonstrated by coronary angiography. Seven patients with pacing-induced chest pain only at rates of 180 and above had normal coronary angiogram. This suggests that patients requiring rates of 180 or more to produce a positive atrial pacing test, following our protocol, do not usually have significant coronary artery disease though confirmation requires a larger study.