What is the base rate and pulse rate of a DDD pacemaker?

Question

In the programmed data the base rate is written as 60 for the DDD pacemaker. But I find the pulse rate of the patient is varied from time to time. In the morning it was 58 and evening it is 45. Sometrimes it goes above 70 also. I want to know whether base rate and pulse rate are same. Is there anything wrong in the pacemaker?

Answer 1

In all likelihood, what you are noting is what is called a demand responsive feature in the pacer.....

The way this works, is that the pacer also senses some part of the metabolic requirements (either through acidosis, or O2 available, etc..) It responds to the "demand" of the body....While resting, it slows, and while exercising, it speeds up in response....

Base rate of a pacer like this can vary profoundly, and the only way to really know (DO ONT DO THIS) is to set it in asynchronis-mode (to be done by the cardiologist only) and then it will go to the base rate....Pulse rate, can exceed pacer rate, since DDD means that it may temporarily inhibit its' own function because the person's heart has taken over the beats (intrinsic beats).

Hard to tell directly what is going on, BUT...I am surprised that the pacer would go down to as low as 45bpm...At most (least), a pacer should never drop it's beats below 50bpm....make sure it is OK...a Cardiologist Technician (like myself...lol) could run an ECG and determine if there is some malfunction occurring....

All the best!

Answer 2

If the patient's pulse rate goes very much lower than the pacemaker's base rate, a doctor needs to check it out to see why. It could be that the pacemaker is not working properly.

Answer 3

I will personally recommend that if your base h/r falls below 60/minute, immediately contact your cardiologist and let him assess your cardiac status v/s DDD pacemaker.
70 beats /min is fair enough report to an ER cardiac or call for local help line, advises on the net is good for info. only.

Answer 4

It needs a programming check. That is easily done in the doctor's office or the patient's bedside. There is probably nothing wrong with the pacer, it just needs a programming change for sensitivity.