Boston Scientific self testing

Hello

by piglet22 - 2024-11-21 07:55:47

I'm Medtronic so can't really comment.

There's quite a bit on the subject on the web and there have been comments on it here on the forum. Use the search facility to see.

It does sound as though something might have changed or been changed.

Obviously, you ought to contact your pacing centre.

Couldn't help but notice you are in East Sussex. I'm in Lewes. I'm going into Royal Sussex County Hospital in a months’ time for a replacement.

Same DoB as well.

Boston Scientific

by PortCityPacer - 2024-11-21 11:09:55

I too have a Boston Svienctific CRT-P and from day one experienced the 21 hour episodes of palpitations, mine occurred on the 56th minute of the hour, would last for 75 seconds, then a second test 5 minutes later at 1 minute past the hour and last for 20 seconds. At first I thought I was having PMT as my heart rate would suddenly jump, my PM team could find no evidence of PMT. A PMC member suggested I read the doctors manual for my specific PM so I downloaded it and did a search and found multiple references to several tests that occurred every 21 hours. After a while I realized the 21 hour self test would scare me and the adrenaline rush would cause my heart to race, after I became accustomed to it my HR barely changed. I've read where many PM patients eventually forget they have a device implanted in them, for me I had a reminder every 21 hours, they would even wake me at night. After multiple visits to my EP, and multiple reprogramming visits, we finally put 2 and 2 together and realized that my episodes were the self tests and not PMT. On my last visit in October the technician turned off the self test feature (he said BS has lots of bells and whistles built in), he said because I'm not PM dependent he could turn it off but the annual follow up visits would be very important. Anyway, I now can almost forget I even have a PM and am not longer awaken during the night. After saying all this, to try and answer your question, I asked how there are so few complaints about the 21 hour tests since mine were so severe (I almost dreaded the approaching hour), he said that everyone is different and that most people don't even notice the self tests. Ive done a lot of rambling on in my reply so here's the bottom line, if the self tests bother you, you might ask about the feature being turned off.

If it's every 21hrs then it's the auto-calibration

by crustyg - 2024-11-21 11:16:02

It's not a self-test of the device, it's the device checking that your pacing outputs are still reliably pacing the heart.

Yes, sounds as though someone has re-enabled auto-calibration.  It's not an install/de-install, just enable/disable.  The capability is always there.

One of many reasons to politely ask for the complete set of reports from the PM-setup system at every in-person check while you proffer a USB memory stick, so you can review them when you get home.  You're entitled to them anyway under the Access to Health Records Act 1990, but that's a slow process.

Boston Scientific Devices

by Emmitt - 2024-11-21 22:57:02

Yes, mine does the tests too.  My pacemaker did it and I was just upgraded to an ICD and it does it too.  But it's not painful.  I definitely notice when it does it unless I am asleep.  

If it's painful and you're not dependent on your PM then ask to have it turned off.  My preference is to keep it on but, here again, it isn't painful for me.