capture

Can any one explain what will show if the PM has capture turned on. After my last check up they rectified the awful palpitations the previous change in settings gave me and on a day to day basis feeling better. Tried doing a hill at the weekend and felt rotten ?? PM not letting my HR go high enough. Felt sick, headache, fluttering the usual. Will this capture mode show arrhythmias not caused by the PM. The appointments aren't conducive to long discussion's as there is usually a queue, and you feel you are taking up too much time ( at least I do).
Thanks Jane

2 Comments

Capture?

by golden_snitch - 2015-06-29 03:06:42

Hi!

Not exactly sure what you are referring to, but there is something called "automatic capture management". This is a feature that allows the pacemaker to regularly test pacing thresholds adjust its output accordingly. Very simplified, the pacing threshold is the amount of energy needed to stimulate the heart effectively = to make it beat. This pacing threshold can vary over time. If automatic capture management is switched on the pacemaker regularly, for instance every 24 hours, performs a threshold test and adjust its output voltage (pacing amplitude) accordingly. Usually, the amplitude is at least 1.0V higher than the measured threshold, so that you're always on the safe side. The feature can also help to save battery life.

The pacemaker can indeed pick up arrhythmias and store these episodes - some even record an ECG - as "events". So, when you have your pacemaker checked, the cardio can see if any arrhythmias have happened. These events are usually divided into so called "atrial high rate episodes" and "ventricular high rate episodes", so there is a differentiation between arrhythmias originating in the atria and those originating in the ventricles. For both counters one has to program at rate at which the pacemaker detects an arrhythmia. For instance, you can program that an atrial high rate episode starts at 180bpm, and then the pacemaker will record every episode when your atrial rate is 180 or faster and store it as an event.

Hope this helps. Best wishes!

thanks

by Jane S - 2015-06-29 05:06:23

I probably got the wrong expression but the second part of your comment makes sense Will definitely ask for more info as I feel as if it is one step forward and one back. I know it is acting like an ECG monitor so hopefully it will give the tech more info.I did have PMAT but not at a very fast rate, the last adjustment seems to have stopped that not really sure how you can feel so good for a few days then everything slides down hill again aagh.

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