THE BEAT GOES ON: PACEMAKERS AND ICDS

Course overview

The environment is filled with wonderful examples of medical technology that provide emergency life support, improve well being, and offer the possibility of a longer and more productive life. As technology advances, more devices are also becoming a part of our internal environment (our bodies). Permanent pacemakers are electronic devices that help maintain adequate heart rate and cardiac output in patients with conduction or impulse-formation disorders. Through careful assessment, intervention and patient teaching, nurses are able to provide accurate, up-to-date information and reduce anxiety about living with a pacemaker. Course objectives include: * Identify indications for temporary and permanent pacemakers. * Identify pacemaker arrhythmias and ways to correct them. * Identify indications for implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs).