[The clinical application of the emergency remedial transthoracic cardiac pacing used by a steel wire loop electrode].

Objective: To explore an effective method of emergency remedial cardiac pacing and evaluate its clinical application.

Methods: The transthoracic cardiac pacing was used by a steel wire loop electrode to 18 patients with cardiac arrest or serious bradycardia, after a routine cardiac pacing was failed by way of jugular or subclavian vein.

Results: It is a simple procedure used by steel wire loop. All the pacing had been successfully captured the hearts except 5 cases without capturing. There were 3 cases of cardiac arrest, 2 cases of cardiac arrest after electric defibrillation, 1 case of cardiac arrest after electric shock because of ventricular running and all the 5 cases of severe cardiac bradycardia due to serious atrioventricular block caused by high blood potassium were survived. Eight cases of cardiac arrest were successful capture, that was due to the short period of time from cardiac arrest to ventricle puncture than that of 5 cases of ventricular pacing which was not successful [(17.6+/-4.6) minutes vs. (26.4+/-5.4) minutes, P<0.05].

Conclusion: The steel wire loop electrode is a safe and reliable emergency cardiac pacing method, which contribute to the rapid establishment of an effective emergency cardiac pacing. When the conventional intravenous cardiac pacing was not successful, the method of emergency transthoracic cardiac pacing used by steel wire loop electrode should be bold and use to improve the successful rate of resuscitation.