ABSTRACT
Objective: To present a report of the demographics of cardiac pacing in Jamaica.
Methods: Demographic data are extracted from patients attending the Pacemaker clinic between 2001 and 2012. A range of variables, minimum maximum, mean, standard deviations, etc., are computed for all the patients enrolled in the clinic. The demographics of pacing are examined in the context of pacing practice worldwide.
Results: There are several significant findings from the analysis of the 531 patients that visit the clinic. Close to 50 % of pacemaker patients in the clinic are over the age of 80, a figure that compares favourably with those from developed countries. Almost twice as many women as men had pacemakers implanted; whereas worldwide, the majority of pacemaker users are men. The majority of pacemakers were implanted in patients from the south of the island.
Conclusion: This paper highlights significant trends in the demographics of pacing practice in Jamaica and lays the foundation for the undertaking of future surveys as the practice continues to evolve in Jamaica. Multiple peculiarities of this small population have been suggested and further studies are warranted.
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