Detection of atrial tachyarrhythmias in an implantable monitoring device

State-of-the-art, implantable, dual-chamber cardiac devices provide useful diagnostic information, including the number and duration of automatic-mode switch episodes in cases of atrial tachycardia and atrial fibrillation encountered in clinical practice. However, to acquire accurate diagnostic information, special attention must be paid to the device settings; to the presence or absence of ventriculoatrial conduction, which, when present, often represents repetitive non-reentrant synchrony (RNRVAS) or pacemaker-mediated tachycardia; to the post-ventricular atrial-blanking period and atrial sensitivity; and to the sensing of far-field R waves (FFRW) in the atrial channel. Physicians should be careful about the information gathered during the monitoring of patients with implantable devices.