Epicardial pacing wires after cardiac surgery: an Irish cross-sectional study.

Background: Temporary epicardial pacing wires are inserted after cardiac surgery. However, there are no international guidelines on which to base best practice regarding wire insertion or removal.

Methods: Data were collected on patients following cardiopulmonary bypass and analysed in terms of use, duration of use and complications of pacing wires after surgery.

Results: Wires were inserted in 164 of the 167 patients. Most (74%) did not require pacing. Patients were categorised into those who had aortic valve replacement (AVR) (n=42) and those who did not (n=122). Of the AVR group, 26% (n=11) were pacemaker dependent after surgery and 10% (n=4) required permanent pacemakers. Most pacing wires were removed by day 4. The only noted complication was delayed discharge.

Conclusion: Unused pacing wires are normally removed on day 4, but for 77 (47%) of patients they remained in place longer. Forty patients (24%) had delayed wire removal because of a policy of wire removal during business hours only. Of these 40 patients, 27 (17% of the 77 with delayed removal) had delayed discharge as a result of our wire removal policy.