Low settings of the ventricular pacing output in patients dependent on a pacemaker: are they really safe?

Background: It is generally acknowledged that pacemaker output must be adjusted with a 100% voltage safety margin above the pacing threshold to avoid ineffective pacing, especially in patients dependent on pacemakers.

Aims: The aim of this prospective crossover study was to assess the beat-to-beat safety of low outputs in patients who are dependent on a pacemaker between 2 follow-up examinations.

Methods: The study included 12 patients who had received a DDD pacemaker with an automatic beat-to-beat capture verification function.