Clinical symptoms before and after permanent artificial cardiac pacing in 71 patients (35 male and 36 female; averaged age 65.1 years old) with bradyarrhythmia were described. These patients were diagnosed and classified into the following three groups: (1) A-V block (36 cases), (2) Sick sinus syndrome (31 cases), and (3) Atrial fibrillation with slow ventricular response (4 cases). The clinical symptoms shown before pacing were Adams-Stokes attack (66.7%), the limitation of physical activity (22.2%), heart failure (19.4%), palpitation (19.4%), vertigo (16.7%), anginal pain (13.9%) and dyspnea (8.3%).
After the implantation of the pacemaker, Adams-Stokes attack disappeared in all the cases. The limitation of physical activity was improved in younger patients, but such improvement was slightly depressed in the older patients. General symptoms caused by heart failure were also disappeared except in the patients with valvular heart disease. Palpitation was observed more frequently in sick sinus syndrome than in A-V block; it was difficult to eliminate this by pacing. Anginal pain, dyspnea and vertigo were disappeared by pacing.
