About this topic
A pacemaker helps your heart to beat properly. It is placed under the skin of your chest, under your collarbone. Leads or wires are attached to the pacemaker. The leads will be hooked up to your heart to help your heart beat more regularly. Pacemakers work in many ways. Your doctor will decide which settings your pacemaker will need. Some send an electric pulse for each heartbeat. Others only send an electric pulse if the heart rate is too high or too low. There are also tools called defibrillators that can give an electric shock to your heart. These can help avoid serious heart problems. 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 ’ Send the electric pulses from the generator to the heart
During the pacemaker check, the doctor makes sure that the battery is still working or if it needs to be changed. A battery most often lasts for 5 to 8 years. This depends on how often the pacemaker is used. The whole pulse generator is changed when the battery needs to be changed. This is often a simple outpatient treatment that lasts about an hour. ‚
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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
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work or driving
- To help others in case of emergency:
- Wear a disease medical alert ID. This will let other people know that you have a pacemaker.
- Always carry your new registration card. It has facts about your pacemaker. It will be able to let other people know what to do.
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.
- If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Fight an infection
Will physical activity be limited?
Rest for the first few days after the procedure. Avoid activities like heavy lifting and hard exercise. Limit arm movement on the side where the device is placed. You may need to wear a sling for a few days after the procedure. Talk to your doctor about whether you will need to limit your activity. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Bruising
- A collapsed lung
- Damage to blood vessels
- Device does not work the right way
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, pain with passing urine or not able to pass urine, wound that will not heal, vaginal itching or pain.
- 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.
- Signs of abnormal heart rate. These include dizziness, throwing up, chest pain, palpitations, and lots of sweating.
- 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 how to care for my cut site.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have dizziness or chest pain.
Where can I learn more?
American Heart Association ‚
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Arrhythmia/PreventionTreatmentofArrhythmia/Living-With-Your-Pacemaker_UCM_305290_Article.jsp ‚
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute ‚
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/pace/ ‚
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. ‚