Pacemakers & Cardiac Devices Flashcards
7 cards from real EKG certification Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pacemakers & Cardiac Devices flashcards as text
What EKG finding is the hallmark of pacemaker activity?
Answer: A pacemaker spike (pacer artifact) preceding the paced beat
A pacemaker spike is a sharp vertical deflection on the EKG that immediately precedes the paced P wave or QRS complex, confirming pacemaker activity.
In the NBG pacemaker code, what does the FIRST letter represent?
Answer: The chamber paced
In the NBG (North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology/British Pacing Group) code, the first letter always indicates the chamber being paced (A=Atrium, V=Ventricle, D=Dual).
What is 'failure to capture' in a pacemaker?
Answer: A pacemaker spike is present but no myocardial depolarization follows
Failure to capture occurs when a pacemaker spike is visible on the EKG but is not followed by a P wave or QRS complex, meaning the impulse did not depolarize the myocardium.
Which EKG morphology is characteristically seen with right ventricular pacing?
Answer: Wide QRS complex with left bundle branch block (LBBB) morphology
Right ventricular pacing produces a wide QRS with LBBB morphology because the right ventricle is depolarized first via the pacing lead, causing abnormal left-to-right ventricular activation.
What does a VVI pacemaker mode mean?
Answer: Ventricle paced, ventricle sensed, inhibited response
VVI means the ventricle is paced (first V), the ventricle is sensed (second V), and the pacemaker is inhibited (I) when it senses native ventricular activity.
What is the lower rate limit (LRL) of a pacemaker?
Answer: The minimum heart rate below which the pacemaker will fire
The lower rate limit (LRL) is the programmed minimum rate; if the patient's intrinsic rate falls below this value, the pacemaker will fire to maintain adequate cardiac output.
Which condition is a primary indication for implanting a permanent pacemaker?
Answer: Symptomatic third-degree (complete) heart block
Symptomatic third-degree (complete) heart block is a Class I indication for permanent pacemaker implantation because there is no reliable conduction between atria and ventricles.