Pacemaker

Pacemaker

an electronic device that provides electrical stimuli to the heart
Components
1. generator
  1. circuit and batteries that determine the rate, strength, and sensitivity
    1. sensitivity: detects the intracadiac electrical activity to cause an appropriate response measured in milivolts
      1. If it can't see activity it will either fire when it shouldn't or not fire when it should
      2. To what extent can the pacemaker realize what the patient's heart needs? Does the pacemaker know what's going on in a patient's heart rhythmn?
    2. threshold: How much electrical charge that we need to produce a mechanical contraction?
2. electrodes
  1. carry the impulse created by the generator to the heart
Indication: slow pulse formation, AV or ventricular conduction disturbance, complete/third degree heart block
Types
1. temporary
  1. outside the body
    1. If the pt is suddenly bradycardic, symptomatic, has a pulse, unresponsive to atropine pacing start transcuatneous pacing
    2. transcutaneous pacemaker: comes directly through the kin. one pad on the chest one pad on the back. pt is sedated
2. permanent
  1. inside the body
Codes
1. First Letter: Pace A/V/D; atrial, ventricular, dual
  1. Second Letter: Senses A/V/D
    1. Third Letter: Responds T/I trigger, inhibit
When a pacemaker undersenses, it OVER paces! failure to sense, fires inappropriately
1. capture: denote that the appropriate complex followed the pacing spike
2. no capture: pacemaker firing, no ventricular contraction

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	Created by nalice about 11 years ago