Introduction to Pacemaker Rhythms

Overview

This page provides an introduction to pacemaker rhythms with links to our lessons and drills.

Pacemakers provide an artificial electrical impulse to the heart. This impulse and the hearts natural electrical signals can be interpreted. We provide a training module for pacemaker rhythms and links to practice strips of pacemaker patients.

There are multiple types of pacemaker rhythms:

• Normal Single Chamber Pacemaker
• Normal Dual Chamber Pacemaker
• Failure to Capture
• Failure to Pace
• Failure to Sense

Pacemaker Rhythm Sample Tracing

Categories of Pacemaker Rhythms

Normal Single Chamber Pacemaker

Failure to Capture

Failure to capture means that the ventricles fail to response to the pacemaker impulse. On an EKG tracing, the pacemaker spike will appear but it will not be followed by a QRS complex.

Failure to Pace

Failure to pace occurs when the pacemaker does not generate an electrical impulse. On an EKG tracing, pacemaker spikes will be missing.

Failure to Sense

Failure to sense occurs when the pacemaker does not detect the patient's myocardial depolarization. This can often be seen on an EKG tracing as a spike following a QRS complex too early.

Pacemaker Rhythms Training

As a starting point for mastering pacemaker rhythms, we recommend our pacemaker rhythms module This module focuses on the features and qualifying criteria of pacemaker rhythms and failures.

Pacemaker Rhythms