External Pacemaker (Optional)
9650-0912-06 Rev. G
ZOLL R Series Operator’s Guide
1–9
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Suppression of tachycardia.
Increased heart rates in response to external pacing often suppress ventricular ectopic
activity and might prevent tachycardia.
WARNING!
This device must not be connected to internal pacemaker electrodes.
Pacemaker Complications
Ventricular fibrillation does not respond to pacing and requires immediate defibrillation.
Therefore, the patient’s dysrhythmia must be determined immediately, so that you can employ
appropriate therapy. If the patient is in ventricular fibrillation and defibrillation is successful but
cardiac standstill (asystole) ensues, you should use the pacemaker.
Ventricular or supraventricular tachycardias can be interrupted with pacing, but in an
emergency or during circulatory collapse, synchronized cardioversion is faster and more
certain.
Pulseless electrical activity (PEA) can occur following prolonged cardiac arrest or in other
disease states with myocardial depression. Pacing might then produce ECG responses without
effective mechanical contractions, making other effective treatment necessary.
Pacing can evoke undesirable repetitive responses, tachycardia, or fibrillation in the presence of
generalized hypoxia, myocardial ischemia, cardiac drug toxicity, electrolyte imbalance, or
other cardiac diseases.
Pacing by any method tends to inhibit intrinsic rhythmicity. Abrupt cessation of pacing,
particularly at rapid rates, can cause ventricular standstill and should be avoided.
Noninvasive temporary pacing can cause discomfort of varying intensity, which occasionally
can be severe and preclude its continued use in conscious patients.
Similarly, unavoidable skeletal muscle contraction might be troublesome in very sick patients
and might limit continuous use to a few hours. Erythema or hyperemia of the skin under the
hands-free therapy electrodes often occurs; this effect is usually enhanced along the perimeter
of the electrode. This reddening should lessen substantially within 72 hours.
There have been reports of burns under the anterior electrode when pacing adult patients with
severely restricted blood flow to the skin. Prolonged pacing should be avoided in these cases
and periodic inspection of the underlying skin is advised.
There are reports of transient inhibition of spontaneous respiration in unconscious patients with
previously available units when the anterior electrode was placed too low on the abdomen.
WARNING!
This device must not be connected to internal pacemaker electrodes.
