PACEMAKER INDICATIONS

Course overview

PACEMAKERS ARE ELECTRONIC DEVICES THAT STIMULATE THE HEART WITH ELECTRICAL IMPULSES TO MAINTAIN OR RESTORE A FUNCTIONAL HEARTBEAT. PACEMAKERS WERE INITIALLY EXTERNAL AND INVOLVED THE PLACEMENT OF SUBCUTANEOUS ELECTRODES FOR PATIENTS WITH INAPPROPRIATE INTRINSIC CARDIAC PACEMAKER ACTIVITY AND/OR ABNORMAL CONDUCTING TISSUE. THE COMPLETE HEART BLOCK WAS TREATED USING ELECTRODES DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE HEART. ULTIMATELY, THE PACEMAKER EVOLVED AND AN ENTIRELY IMPLANTABLE PACEMAKER WAS DEVELOPED. SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ADVANCEMENTS IN PACEMAKERS, AND THE MODERN-DAY PERMANENT PACEMAKER IS PLACED SUBCUTANEOUSLY. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS OF PACEMAKERS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS REQUIRING THEM.