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EKG of the Month for April 2009

A 78-year-old woman presents to the cardiology clinic for routine interrogation of her dual-chamber permanent pacemaker. Her pacemaker was placed in 2004 for tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome. Medical history is remarkable for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (A-Fib) and an old left hemispheric cerebrovascular accident that occurred when the patient was off anticoagulation for reasons that are unclear. She has residual right-sided weakness and aphasia. Her most recent hospitalization, for management of A-Fib, occurred two months ago at an outside hospital. The patient’s caregiver states that “something” was done to the pacemaker during that hospital stay. Current medications include warfarin (7.5 mg alternating with 5.0 mg every other day with a stable international normalized ratio of 2.4), diltiazem XT (120 mg/d), and aspirin (81 mg/d). Interrogation of the pacemaker reveals a pacing mode of VVIR at a lower rate of 60 beats/min and an upper rate of 110 beats/min. The maximum sensor rate is 110 beats/min, the atrioventricular (AV) delay is 170 ms, the pulmonary vein delay is 150 ms, and the postventricular atrial refractory period is 300 ms. Mode switch is programmed off. ECG reveals a ventricular rate of 74 beats/min; no PR interval; QRS duration, 138 ms; QT/QTc interval, 478/530 ms; R axis, –75°; and T axis, 106°. Electronic ventricular pacing spikes are also present. What is your interpretation of this ECG, and is there anything remarkable regarding this patient’s AV node?

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