Severe Mitral valve rupture and pace maker

I am after comments about what might happen if you have a severe rupture of the mitral valve in the heart due to endocarditis resulting in death and already have an artificial pace maker fitted. Will the pace maker continue to pump the blood through the ruptured valve even after the person is declared dead. What happens to the blood, where will it pool and could we expect that it could leak from the body.

2 Comments

no

by Tracey_E - 2012-06-19 10:06:40

The pm generates an electric signal to the heart muscle, the heart muscle responds by contracting and pumping blood. When we die, the heart stops responding so it makes no difference if we have the pm or not.

Hi

by Gellia3 - 2012-06-19 10:06:42

I'm with TraceyE on that. Also, the heart and its blood supply is a relatively closed system. A ruptured valve, inside the heart, would not cause the blood to leak to the outside of the body.
A PM would have no affect on blood leaking from a body opening.

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