What does all this mean

On my PM card it says AA1 then arrow pointing from this to DDD its a medtronic MR conditional type 5076 -52 cm pacing at 60. Anyone know how to translate please

3 Comments

Modes

by golden_snitch - 2014-11-09 03:11:31

Hi!

Don already explained everything well :-)

Just wanted to add two things:

1. If you pace 96% of the time in the lower chamber (ventricle), the AAI to DDD mode does not make much sense. This is a mode specifically designed to reduce ventricular pacing in patients who have occasional heart blocks, but whose ventricles are beating on their own most of the time. With 96% pacing in the ventricles, it sounds a lot like you have a nearly permanent heart block, and for that a DDD mode would be better. But maybe it's 96% in the atria (upper chambers), and not ventricles, then your AAI to DDD mode would be more appropriate. Lots of atrial pacing means very lazy sinus node, and that usually means you need the rate response sensor switched on (AAIR or DDDR mode), though. You might want to ask your cardio about the mode choice again.

2. I post this here very often: Pacing percentage is not the only parameter determining battery life. In fact, much more important than pacing percentage is the amplitude (voltage) and the status of your leads (impedance). You can be 100% paced with a low voltage, and get for instance 10 years out of your battery, or you can have 20% pacing with a higher voltage, and only get 6 years out of it. I went from 100% atrial pacing to 100% atrial and ventricular pacing and this did not have any effect on the projected battery life. Cardio said I'm pacing at such low voltages that even with pacing non-stop I'll get about 9 - 10 years out of my device.

Inga

Thank you

by vattens1 - 2014-11-09 12:11:33

Thank you for all that makes sense. its pacing in lower chamber 90% of the time. Hope it doesn't wear battery out to quick lol

Try This for Translation

by donr - 2014-11-09 12:11:57

First off, your card should have at least THREE lines of printing on it.

I have a Medtronic & the first line would be the PM model name or number.

The second & third will be similar & just be numbers. These two lines are the lead models.

To verify what I have guessed about your card, go to Google & enter "Medtronic," Followed by the characters under the column headed "Model" You will have to do so separately for each line.

The 5076-52 cm is a model 54076 lead 52 cm long - the leads come in varying lengths because some hearts are bigger than others.

AAI ------> DDD Tells the world that your PM is setup to switch pacing modes, should it sense that your heart requires it. Google "Pacing Modes" to get an explanation of all the letters that can appear in each position.

The A in the first position tells that the PM is set up to producer pacing spikes for the Atria if needed. The A in the second position tells that the PM continually Senses what the Atria are doing & if the Squiggle on the trace on an ECG that indicates that the Atria should contract is not there in time, it tells the PM so that it can generate a pacing spike. The I in the third position tells that the PM is Inhibited from generating a pacing spike if the PM Senses activity that the Atria will contract on their own.

Under certain conditions, the PM may switch modes from AAI to DDD. This would be a situation where it senses that the Ventricles are not performing correctly for a certain number of heart beats.

The first D tells that BOTH Atria & ventricles are paced. D= DUAL. The second D tells that BOTH Atria & Ventricles are Sensed. D= DUAL. The Third D tells that the PM is Inhibited from generating a pacing spike if EITHER lead senses activity for the chamber it is sensing.

Pacing at 60 tells that your PM is set so that if your heart rate drops low, the PM will keep it running at 60 BPM. It does this by sensing the time between beats. 60 BPM is 1 beat every second. So it is running a continual stop watch on your heart's beats. Supposing it senses a beat right now. It starts its stopwatch & if the next beat does not occur at the 1 second point, it generates a pacing spike. Then it starts its stopwatch again for the next beat./

Part of its functioning is a lot more complicated than that, but the concept is the same. It times each & every beat & makes sure that each & every beat is correct.

Donr

You know you're wired when...

You forecast electrical storms better than the weather network.

Member Quotes

I have earned my Black Belt. I now teach class!