Rapid ventricular pacing due to electrocautery: a case report and review

It is well known that the use of electrocautery during surgery can interfere with the functioning of pacemakers. The most common problem is that the electrocautery is interpreted by the pacemaker as cardiac electrical activity, which inhibits the pacemaker from firing, leading to bradycardia. The use of electrocautery in a site remote from the pacemaker generator normally does not cause interference. It is also very unusual to develop a tachycardic response to the electrocautery. We report a case of electrocautery causing rapid pacing during transurethral resection of bladder polyps. The possible causes of inappropriate rapid pacing are reviewed.