AHRQ Research Finds QRS Duration a Good Predictor of Who Will Benefit From a Pacemaker

New research from AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program finds that among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) implantation in routine clinical practice, patients with left bundle-branch block (LBBB) and a QRS duration (electrocardiogram pattern) of 150 millisecond (ms) or greater, compared with LBBB and QRS duration less than 150 ms or no LBBB regardless of QRS duration, had lower risks of mortality and heart failure readmission. These findings support the use of QRS morphology and duration to help identify patients who will have the greatest benefit from CRT-D implantation. The report, titled “QRS Duration, Bundle-Branch Block Morphology, and Outcomes Among Older Patients With Heart Failure Receiving Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy,” appeared in the August 14 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.