Optimizing temporary perioperative cardiac pacing

Temporary cardiac pacing.

Temporary cardiac pacing can be a life-saving manoeuvre. The indications and techniques are well established. 1 The procedure is one of the 'essential' components of the training programme in general internal medicine. This may be desirable, but is it wise nowadays? Is it achievable? The traditional indication for a temporary cardiac pacemaker is heart block; the usual venue for the procedure i...

Temporary cardiac pacing.

Mastering temporary invasive cardiac pacing.

Competent management of patients with an invasive temporary pacemaker is an important skill for nurses who provide care for critically ill patients with cardiac disease. Such management requires familiarity with normal cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, conduction system defects, and rhythm interpretation. With an understanding of the basic concepts of rate, output, chambers, sensitivity, a...

Temporary cardiac pacing at the bedside.

The equipment required are (1) a bedside cardiac monitor (2) a defibrillator (3) an ECG machine preferably powered by battery (4) three crocodile clips (5) external pulse generator (6) temporary pacing electrodes and (7) a cutdown set. The cutdown set may include various cannulae introducer systems. We are only describing here the system where the cannula supplied with the temporary electrodes ...

Temporary cardiac pacing via the oesophagus.

Introduction Temporary transvenous pacing is routinely used for patients with drug-resistant symptomatic bradycardia complicating acute myocardial infarction. The technique requires skill and facilities which are not always immediately available in district general hospitals. Temporary pacing using an oesophageal electrode is a simple and effective alternative as illustrated by the following ca...