Electro cardioversion

A few months ago I had a very bad flu and started vomiting.  This threw my heart into an irregular rythym and tachycardia.  My regular Cardiologist had retired so I depended on the Cardiologist on duty to make a decision to convert it back to rythym.  My old doctor would always administer medication for this.  This doctor had them convert me with 1200 Jules of electricity.  It did convert me back and but could it have damaged my pacemaker?

 

5 Comments

1200 Joules--yikes!

by Gotrhythm - 2018-08-28 16:28:18

If cardioversion didn't damage your pacemaker before, it most likely didn't damage it this time. The amount of emotional damage to you?--that's different. Some people find the experience to be very traumatic. Don't be shy about asking for emotional support if you need it.

Our devices are tough. We have people who have sustained electric shocks while doing electrical repair. Not good for them, but it didn't hurt their pacemaker at all.

1200J

by AgentX86 - 2018-08-28 16:56:08

I highly doubt they used that much energy. You'd be burned to a crisp. 100J is normal and 600J is the limit, AFAIK.

That said, it's not going to hurt your pacemaker.  what makes you think it might have?

Yikes

by ROBO Pop - 2018-08-28 18:49:08

1200j, at that energy setting you'll definitely fry the family joules. An implanted defib provides up to 40j. External defibrillators used for cardioversion are started at 200j and actually go to a limit of, assuming my memory is right about 380 joules. The reason for the difference, my defibrillator is wired directly to the heartg wall. An external device must go through the chest wall and all the stuff you have between.

As the others said, no, it didn't harm your device but don't take our word for it, ask for an interrogation of your pacemaker, it'll tell you if anything is amiss

Shocking

by Jimmy Dinfla - 2018-08-28 22:20:26

My ICD shocks with 40 joules. Recommend having your PM interrogated to determine if it was damaged.

cardioversion with pacemaker

by marylandpm - 2018-08-30 08:13:19

   I have had two cardioversions since I had the pacemaker and both times the EP placed one pad on my back. I heard him telling the lab tech that since I had a PM not to put it on my PM.

 He did say that the PM would probably be ok if the pad was on my PM but why take the chance. 

 

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