Cardiac rhythm management device with detection and therapy for sudden syncopal events

摘要

A method and apparatus for cardiac stimulation for addressing vasovagal syncope incorporates a detection algorithm in which a precipitous rate drop from a pre-existing average intrinsic heart rate value to a lower rate limit is sensed and if the patient is awake and the intrinsic rate remains below the lower rate limit for a predetermined number of beats, the patient's heart is paced at a rate that is a programmed differential above the prior average intrinsic rate for a second programmed time interval, at the conclusion of which the pacing rate is gradually decreased to the average heart rate existing prior to the sudden rate drop or to the lower rate limit.