Skipped Beats on EKG

For the second time cardiologist said EKG showed skipped beats. He asked if I felt them and I said no. He said pacemaker (Medtronic dual leads since 2011 pacing 100% of the time) covers them. So strange and scary that heart could be skipping beats and I don't feel it. Have to ask PM tech on next visit. Does this seem unusual and what does it mean?

4 Comments

Pacemaker checking for natural pacing?

by LondonAndy - 2015-11-29 01:11:32

I have Complete Heart Block as a result of complications from surgery when a mechanical aortic valve was fitted, and so am paced 100% of the time. However, I was told that I had some skipped beats when I went for my pacemaker check 6 months after surgery, and that this was because the pacemaker was stopping to see if my heart's electrics had recovered and initiated a beat. I had vaguely been aware of the odd skipped beats myself if I was paying attention to my heart beats, but they had otherwise caused any problem. The technician changed the PM programming so that it no longer stopped to do this check, since by 6 months it was clear the electrical function would not recover.

Your bio does not say why you have a PM, so not sure if my experience is relevant.

correction to above

by LondonAndy - 2015-11-29 01:11:54

Sorry, just re-read what I typed, and the skipped beats had otherwise NOT caused any problem.

What kind of pacemaker for what problem?

by BillH - 2015-11-29 02:11:14

Everyone really needs to know what their problem is and who is the pacemaker working to over come it.

You could have a single chamber device which paces the atrium or one that paces the ventricle. Or a two chamber that paces both.

One example of what might be causing your problem that the atrium is being paced 100% of the time. But that there is a conduction problem through the AV node and sometimes the ventricle is not triggered.

And there are many other sistuations where it is paced 100%, but there are still skips.

Skipped Beats

by Good Dog - 2015-11-29 12:11:04

I have skipped beats (palpitations) very often. It has been happening for years. The pacer tech asked me if it bothered me. I told her that it once did, but that I apparently have become accustomed to it, because it doesn't bother me anymore.

Dave

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