What is a common issue with unipolar leads?

Unipolar leads are commonly associated with a tendency to oversensing due to their design, which typically involves a single electrode and a reference point often located within the pulse generator. This configuration makes them more susceptible to detecting and responding to electrical signals or noise from surrounding tissues, which can lead to inappropriate pacing or the device interpreting non-cardiac signals as arrhythmias. Oversensing can result in non-detection of genuine cardiac events, causing potential treatment interruptions for the patient.

While issues such as battery life, heart rate monitoring accuracy, and lead placement difficulty can certainly affect pacing systems, these are not specifically inherent to unipolar leads as much as they are related to other factors or lead types. Thus, the tendency for oversensing in unipolar leads is a notable concern that directly impacts their function and reliability in cardiac pacing.