Sick sinus syndrome

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Abstract
The sick sinus syndrome is not a rare clinical entity; it comprised 23% of a group of 392 individuals referred for permanent cardiac pacing. Symptoms are principally cerebrovascular in nature (syncope, dizziness) but may be due to systemic embolization and/or congestive heart failure and angina pectoris. Diagnosis may be suggested by bedside testing and routine 12-lead ECG, but it may require prolonged ambulatory ECG monitoring or sophisticated electrophysiological testing, including atrial pacing and measurement of sinus nodal recovery times and sinoatrial conduction times. Decisions regarding treatment are clinical ones and, if symptoms warrant, permanent cardiac pacing, atrial or ventricular, is the treatment of choice.