About this topic
A pacemaker helps your heart beat the right way. It is used when the heart does not beat normally. This is called an arrhythmia. Your heart may be beating too fast or too slow. Other times, it beats with an irregular rhythm. Any of these can affect your health if not treated right away. A regular pacemaker helps stimulate the right ventricle of the heart to pump blood. A biventricular pacemaker helps both left and right ventricles to work together efficiently. Patients with very bad heart problems often use this tool. ‚
The pacemaker is placed under the skin of your chest. Leads or wires are attached to the pacemaker. They will be placed into the muscular wall of your heart to help control abnormal heartbeats. Pacemakers work in many ways. Some send an electric pulse for each heartbeat. Others only send an electric pulse if the heart rate is too high or too low. A pacemaker is made up of two parts: ‚
- Pulse generator ¢ ˆ ’ Houses the battery and a small computer that records the heartbeat
- Lead wires ¢ ˆ ’ Sends the electric pulses from the generator to the heart
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- How to care for your cut sites
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to limit your arm movement on the side where the device was placed
- If you should learn to take your heart rate and blood pressure
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work, driving, or sex
- Be sure to wash your hands before touching your wound or dressing.
To help others in case of an emergency: ‚
- Wear a disease medical alert ID. This will let other people know that you have a pacemaker.
- Always carry your medical card. This card has facts about your pacemaker. It will be able to let other people know what to do.
Be careful around electrical devices or anything with magnets. ‚
- Cell phones and MP3 players such as iPods have magnets. Do not use or hold them on the same side of your body where the pacemaker is placed.
- Most appliances in your home are safe for you to use.
- Walk through metal detectors at a normal pace. Your pacemaker will likely set it off. Show your medical alert ID or card and ask to be hand searched.
- Stay at least 2 feet away from industrial welders, large motors, electrical generators and equipment.
- Tell your other doctors about your pacemaker before having any other tests or procedures. These can interfere with how well your pacemaker works.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. Your doctor may want you to have an ECG (electrocardiogram) to check electrical pulses of your heart. Your doctor will also want to check: ‚
- Your pacemaker. This is to make sure it is working the right way.
- The pacemaker batteries. They will be replaced before they start to run down. The batteries may last for years, based on how much your device is used. Leads or wires may also need to be replaced in time.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Prevent blood clots
- Fight an infection
- Treat your heart condition
Will physical activity be limited?
You may have to limit your activity until the cut site is healed and the wires are securely in place. Talk to your doctor about: ‚
- The right amount of activity for you. Ask when you may begin light sports and workouts or other tiring activities. Do not play full contact sports such as football. This could damage your pacemaker or may loosen the wires connected to your heart.
- How far you may raise your arm on the side of your body with the device. There will be a time when you may have to limit your movement. You may have to limit reaching over your head, out to the side, or stretching on the side of your body with the device.
- How much weight you may lift.
What problems could happen?
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Device may not work the right way
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of heart failure. These include trouble breathing, weakness, rapid and irregular beating of the heart, chest pain, coughing, swelling of the belly and feet, trouble concentrating.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- The same signs you had before your implant
- Dizziness
- Hiccups that do not go away
- Fainting or passing out
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my procedure.
- I can tell you what situations and activities I should avoid.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have chest pain, trouble breathing, or hiccups that do not go away.
Where can I learn more?
Heart Rhythm Society ‚
http://www.hrsonline.org/Patient-Resources/Treatment/Pacemaker/Cardiac-Resynchronization-Therapy-CRT#axzz2NjaIRveb ‚
National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease ‚
http://www.hearthealthywomen.org/treatment-and-recovery/featured/crt.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚