Heart Failure Associated with Pacemaker-Induced Dyssynchrony

Heart failure (HF) is a devastating disease that significantly affects patient morbidity and mortality. Recent research has shown that permanent right ventricular (RV) pacing is causally linked to HF. Permanent RV pacing is thought to cause inter- and intraventricular dyssynchrony, which leads to a decreased systolic contraction and a decreased ejection fraction. Primary care nurse practitioners (NPs) should be cognizant of the signs and symptoms of HF in this patient population to diagnose and treat HF as a result of pacemaker-induced dyssynchrony.