DDDR information

Good day to all!
Would like to know if someone out there has a medtronic DDDR that can tell me if it has a low battery alarm and what it sounds like? Just trying to build my knowlege of the capabilities of this thing!
Thanks,
Cecil ( Manaman)

3 Comments

Me too

by Sue H. - 2012-06-11 04:06:31

I have same pacer and didn't know it had an alarm. Next tech interrogation, I'll ask.

Maybe if you contact Medtronic via their website ,they'll answer you.

Sie

Low Battery Warning

by SMITTY - 2012-06-11 05:06:01


Hello Cecil,

Your pacemaker does not give an audible alarm when the battery gets low. When the battery power reaches certain level known as EOL (End of Life Level) or the PM goes into ERM (Elective Replacement Mode) or one called a VVI. At this point there is enough battery power left to safely operate the PM for at least three months.

You will know when this level of battery power is reached the PM shifts from being an on demand PM to a full time PM. As a full time PM it will make your heart beat at a constant 65 BPM, regardless of the settings it may have. When this happened to mine, which is also a Medtronic, I knew it without a doubt.

Fortunately I had read here what would happen so it the abnormal (for me) heart beat didn't upset me. While it was not painful, it was uncomfortable enough to cause me to call the dr. office ASAP. I was told to it was probably a low battery and to come in for a checkup. The low battery was confirmed and I was scheduled for a new PM the next day.

The thing is, don' be concerned about being left without a working PM. Our PMs have enough built in safety features we will not be left out in the cold with a dead PM battery.

Good luck,

Smitty

A "Second" to Smitty's motion

by donr - 2012-06-12 08:06:42

I was told that my PM had about three months left on its battery & what would happen when it went into EOL mode. My cardio scheduled an appt on a Tues for me to come in & arrange for a potential change-out date.

On the Sat prior, at 1220 PM, it went into EOL & started pacing me at 65 BPM. I did not find that out till Mon 430PM. For a good reason (Though not pleasant).

I am normally paced at 75. A short while after the PM went into EOL mode, I started feeling kinda "Draggy" & lacking energy, but did not associate that feeling w/ low HR. Finally, on Mon, mid afternoon, I was really feeling draggy & had my Wife check my pulse. She got 66 - close enough to 65 for me. Went to cardio's office & saw his head nurse & sho' nuf, my PM had gone into EOL - at 1220 PM Sat, it told us. Had it changed out on Thurs - but by that time, I was so sluggish I had all I could do to walk from my prep room to the OR & climb up on the table.

Short of a fire engine siren, an audible signal would not have helped me - I'm pretty badly hard of hearing. But it did do exactly what it was supposed to do - I just did not recognize the clue.

In the FWIW Dept, it was a mere three days early in predicted EOL. The Tues when I had my appt scheduled was the predicted date for EOL.

Just be alert for the predicted date for EOL - their battery life algorithm is pretty accurate.

Don

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Member Quotes

I just want to share about the quality of life after my pacemaker, and hopefully increase awareness that lifestyles do not have to be drastically modified just because we are pacemaker recipients.