Pacemaker

Overview: A pacemaker is a device that uses electrical pulses to help control certain abnormal rhythms.

 

Background

A pacemaker is placed either in the chest or abdomen. It prompts the heart to beat at a normal rate. One common reason for using a pacemaker is bradycardia,  a slow heart rate. Another reason is heart block, which means that the electrical signal to the ventricles is partly or completely blocked. Either of these problems can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, fainting, organ damage, or death. The implanted pacemaker helps the heart to beat at a more normal rate.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (n.d.). Pacemakers. Pacemakers l NHLBI, NIH. Retrieved November 28, 2020, from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/pacemakers#:~:text=A%20pacemaker%20is%20a%20small,or%20rhythm%20of%20the%20heartbeat.

 

HCMA 6/2021

Pacemaker