TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Chapter 32. Transthoracic Cardiac Pacing A1 - Reichman, Eric F. PY - 2013 T2 - Emergency Medicine Procedures, 2e AB - Transthoracic cardiac pacing is a historic technique of pacing the heart with an electrode introduced percutaneously into the ventricular cavity using a needle trocar introducer. There is sparse literature on transthoracic cardiac pacing, and the benefits and complications are not well defined. Before the advent of effective and efficient transcutaneous pacing, transthoracic pacing was a faster alternative to transvenous pacing in the patient with an acutely unstable dysrhythmia. Presently, the indications for transthoracic pacing are extremely rare. The technique of transthoracic pacing is included in this text as it is occasionally performed in situations where transcutaneous pacing is unavailable or ineffective.1–3 SN - PB - The McGraw-Hill Companies CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/29 UR - accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=57703306 ER -