A doctor called the pacemaker company, furious that the newly implanted device was NOT pacing his patient's heart properly. As part of the troubleshooting, the technical services rep routinely asked the doctor what kind of wires were connected to the pacemaker as they then led into the heart.
The doctor said, "Wires? What wires?"
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Say what ? (jokes)
During a pacemaker implant, the pacemaker company rep saw the surgeon cut an arterial vessel, causing blood to squirt 15 feet away fom the patient's body. The surgeon quickly put light pressure on the area to stop the minor bleeding. He then looked at the rep and asked if he'd ever seen that before. The rep said, "No." "Good, and you never did ...." said the surgeon.
Which Brand of Pacemaker / ICD is Best ?
So your doctor has advised you to be implanted with a pacemaker or ICD based on your indications.
Should you be concerned as to which BRAND of device he / she implants ?
No. There are several fine medical device companies out there and all make great devices. All devices go through stringent quality control measures and thorough testing via U.S. FDA procedures before approval is given in the United States.
The major, top brands include: BIOTRONIK, BOSTON SCIENTIFIC, MEDTRONIC AND ST. JUDE MEDICAL
You'd be good with any of these.
Talk with your doctor as specific device features may be a priority to your situation.
Should you be concerned as to which BRAND of device he / she implants ?
No. There are several fine medical device companies out there and all make great devices. All devices go through stringent quality control measures and thorough testing via U.S. FDA procedures before approval is given in the United States.
The major, top brands include: BIOTRONIK, BOSTON SCIENTIFIC, MEDTRONIC AND ST. JUDE MEDICAL
You'd be good with any of these.
Talk with your doctor as specific device features may be a priority to your situation.
Holter Monitors
So your doctor has suggested that you wear a 24-48 hour holter monitor. This is okay provided you don't like to wear an item like this for more than 24-48 hours due to skin irritation, upcoming travel, work issues, etc.
But... research has shown that holter monitors are only 8-10% effective in catching whatever rhythm/symptom the doctor was wanting to investigate.
Why only 8-10% effective ? Because it's being worn for such a short amount of time. But let's be real, if you're having numerous symptoms on a daily basis, odds are you'll catch the rhythm with a simple holter monitor.
But if this is a "feeling" that you have periodically throughout the month, a 21 day cardac event monitor may be better suited in tying symptoms to an actual cardiac event ... if its cardiac related.
Talk with your doctor.
But... research has shown that holter monitors are only 8-10% effective in catching whatever rhythm/symptom the doctor was wanting to investigate.
Why only 8-10% effective ? Because it's being worn for such a short amount of time. But let's be real, if you're having numerous symptoms on a daily basis, odds are you'll catch the rhythm with a simple holter monitor.
But if this is a "feeling" that you have periodically throughout the month, a 21 day cardac event monitor may be better suited in tying symptoms to an actual cardiac event ... if its cardiac related.
Talk with your doctor.
Cardiac Event Monitors
So your doctor has suggested that you wear a cardiac event monitor for up to 21 days to determine what may be causing your fainting spells ?
Do it!
They're simple, don't get in the way of your lifestyle ... and you barely know that you're wearing it.
Besides, many are fully automated so you don't even have to press a button for transmissions.
Top provider companies include: eCardio, Cardionet and Lifewatch
Do it!
They're simple, don't get in the way of your lifestyle ... and you barely know that you're wearing it.
Besides, many are fully automated so you don't even have to press a button for transmissions.
Top provider companies include: eCardio, Cardionet and Lifewatch
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Do you have Chronic Atrial Fibrillation ?
Oftentimes the prescription of Warfarin (Coumadin) becomes a lifetime prescription. Patients are often asked to monitor the blood thinning capabilities of the drug via a "Coumadin" clinic at their doctor's office. It's all about stroke prevention ....
Follow your doctor's orders when it comes to this drug !!
Follow your doctor's orders when it comes to this drug !!
FDA Probing RFID Interference in Pacemakers, ICDs
The FDA has done some basic research suggesting that radio frequency identification readers (RFID) may electronically affect Pacemakers and ICDs.
Extremely low risk of interference but ... worthy of an investigation by manufacturers for current devices and mitigating the issue for future devices.
For more information visit:
www.heartrhythmjournal.com
Extremely low risk of interference but ... worthy of an investigation by manufacturers for current devices and mitigating the issue for future devices.
For more information visit:
www.heartrhythmjournal.com
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