Electrode chemistry of prolonged external pacing

Prolonged external cardiac pacing can produce electrochemical skin burns associated with the production of OH/sup -/, and eventually H/sup +/, through hydrolysis. This study compares the performance of a new multifunction defibrillation/pacing/ECG electrode design to that of other commercially available electrodes during sustained pacing. Pacing voltage changes and pH measurements predict the eventual depletion of electrode constituents and the onset of hydrolysis. The results indicate that the new electrode delays the rise of electrode offset voltage and resulting pH increases compared to several competing electrode designs.