Electric Frank-/donr-RR Question

When you get a chance could you please respond to my last comment under "increasing AP-VP.


Or maybe donr can put his two cents in,too. Thanx Guys

6 Comments

Last ???? 2 cents

by donr - 2012-08-20 07:08:42

Went there & could not figure out which last question you meant - there are more than a bunch

Lemme know & I'll fire off an answer before Frank wakes up out there in CA. Then he can set the record straight.

If it is specifically about RR, I may just turn chicken & not answer.

Don

RR Question

by zawodniak1 - 2012-08-20 07:08:44

Don
It is the last comment asking about when the RRkicks in and out..
Thanx
Rodger

Can't help you...

by donr - 2012-08-20 08:08:08

...w/ that question. I defer completely to Frank. What happens at the upper end is one of the mysteries I have not investigated. I don't have a problem w/ it.

Sorry, Rodger.

Don

Earlier question

by ElectricFrank - 2012-08-21 02:08:36

I just checked back to the post you mention. I did answer your question, but could have missed the point. Let me know and I'll try again.

frank

ElectricFrank--RR function

by zawodniak1 - 2012-08-21 04:08:51

I understand that in the RR mode, the PM will react up to 110bpm. I am not entirely clear on what happens if my exercise level demands a bpm higher than 110. Will my heart take over and try to keep up on it's own? How would I feel if this happens? In my case would the heart struggle on it's own? And is there any advantage in having it set to a level I would not reach even with a very high activity level.

Thank you,
Rodger

RR function

by ElectricFrank - 2012-08-22 01:08:32

The Upper Sensor Rate is the maximum rate that RR can drive produce. What happens when your exercise demands a rate higher than the setting depends on your hearts condition. The usual reason for needing RR is because your hearts intrinsic rates are non existent or too low for the situation. So in this case your HR driven by RR will just flatten out at 110.

The way RR works is that the Lower Sensor Rate sets the starting point of a curve where the RR begins to increase HR with exercise. The Upper Sensor Rate sets the ending point of the curve. So unless your heart has some condition where it was risky to pace it to a higher rate then increasing the Upper Sensor Rare would be a good idea. 110 is quite low. There are several other settings that go along with this though that make it complex to get the right setting. They can set how fast HR accelerates/decelerates with changes in exercise, and in some cases how long the cool down time is after a burst of high level activity.

My suggestion is to ask for a programming session with the Medtronics rep where they have you exercise on a treadmill. There is a software utility that the rep uses to profile your activity-rate curve, and is really the way RR should be set up for active people.

My only personal experience with RR was back in 2004 in the first 2 weeks of my pacer. They had it turned on unnecessarily and it was doing battle with my hearts own perfectly good sinus pacer.

Hope this helps,

frank

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