Managing Temporary Epicardial Pacemakers with Confidence
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
Session SummaryPatients often require a temporary epicardial pacemaker after cardiac surgery to sustain a stable cardiac rhythm. Nurses must be able to manage pacemakers and avoid malfunctioning which can lead to adverse outcomes. This session presents strategies for nurses with a foundational level of knowledge about pacemakers to maintain and troubleshoot temporary pacemakers confidently. The use of epicardial atrial pacemaker wires to diagnose and treat atrial dysrhythmias is also presented.
- Identify the components of a temporary epicardial pacemaker system.
- Discuss the steps for troubleshooting common temporary pacemaker malfunctions.
- Explain how temporary epicardial atrial wires can be used to identify postoperative atrial dysrhythmias.
Timmerman, Rosemary, "Managing Temporary Epicardial Pacemakers with Confidence" (2022). Articles, Abstracts, and Reports. 6159.