PERMANENT CARDIAC PACING

Implantation of a permanent pacemaker is the most commonly performed s urgical operation involving the heart. Annually 115,000 to 175,000 per manent pacemakers are implanted in the United States. The modern cardi ac pacemaker is a complex device that can sense and pace in both the a trium and ventricle. Moreover, it modulates the pacing rate based on s ensed physiologic parameters. This article reviews the fundamental pri nciples of pacemaker technology and provides the emergency physician w ith approaches to common pacemaker problems.