Twiddler's Syndrome
Authors:
- William J. NicholsonWNWilliam J. Nicholson
- Kathryn A. TuohyKTKathryn A. Tuohy
- Peter TilkemeierPTPeter Tilkemeier
- 24 April 2003
- journal article
- letter
- Published by Massachusetts Medical Society in New England Journal of Medicine
- Vol. 348 (17) , 1726-1727
Abstract
First described in 1968, pacemaker twiddler's syndrome refers to permanent malfunction of a pacemaker due to the patient's manipulation of the pulse generator.1 The sequence of symptoms begins with the patient's deliberate or subconscious spinning of the pacemaker's pulse generator in a capacious pocket. The leads are dislodged, and ventricular pacing ceases. Subsequently, with continual reeling of the leads around the generator, the ipsilateral phrenic nerve is stimulated, resulting in diaphragmatic pacing and the sensation of abdominal pulsations. As the leads are further wrapped around the generator, rhythmic arm twitching occurs when the brachial plexus is paced.Keywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- Twiddler's Syndrome Variants in ICD PatientsPacing and Clinical Electrophysiology, 1998
- Twiddlerʼs Syndrome: Another TwistSouthern Medical Journal, 1988
- Pacemaker twiddler's syndrome: An important cause of diaphragmatic pacingThe American Journal of Cardiology, 1985