Pacer sound after death

From another thread I understand that a pacer keeps firing after death. For purposes of pronouncing death my question is can you hear it through a stethoscope and does it sound/feel like a heartbeat?

2 Comments

pacing

by Tracey_E - 2013-10-01 05:10:12

All the pm does is make an electrical signal that causes the heart muscle to contract. What we feel as a beat is our heart muscle, not the pm. When we pass, the heart stops responding so there is nothing to hear.

there is a short delay

by PacerRep - 2013-10-02 11:10:59

The heart will keep beating after death but only for a short time, even though the body gives out there is a certain period of time before the muscles stop responding to stimulation. Just think about it,

We die...we stop breathing...the heart was beating just fine prior to that last breath with the aide of the pacemaker...Now that your not breathing, the blood is no longer oxygenating and the heart muscle begins to die, it doesn't take long but eventually the pacemaker is just firing into dead tissue and it has no effect. The pacemaker will keep firing until the battery dies.

You know you're wired when...

You run like the bionic woman.

Member Quotes

We are ALIVE! How wonderful is modern medicine.