Health Information Patient Handout: Explanation of the Issue

Living with a Pacemaker
Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
Living with a Pacemaker
The term pacemaker is widely used in the cardiology patient management to refer a special type of electrical device applied in correcting a heartbeat abnormality or dysfunctions known as arrhythmias. The heart malfunctions described under the concept of arrhythmias exist in two forms; one is tachycardia, which is described as the condition where the heartbeat is faster than the normal and the second condition where the pacemaker is necessary is when one is experiencing bradycardia described as the slower than normal heartbeat (American Heart Association, 2016). The other medical condition where a pacemaker deems necessary is during a heart failure when the heart has been considered to be pumping out of synchronism. The application of the pacemaker has been not only life-saving techniques, but also a device for enhancing the quality of cardiac patient’s life.
The misconception that has always been attached to the electronic device entail the notions that it is uncomfortable, and one may suffer an electric shock in case of using things like a microwave oven and cellular telephone. The issues of safety, conformability and reliability have been solved by the modern pacemaker devices that weigh between 20 and 40 grams and has only two simple components that can rest comfortably on one’s collar (Wood, 2011). One part is the section with a pulse creation generator that is used for controlling the heart beat while the other section is called the leads that direct electric signals to the heart through the veins. According to cardiology tests, one is assigned a certain type of pacemaker ranging from temporary types to special kinds of pacemakers. While temporary pacemakers are applied in minor cases such as aligning the heart into synch after a heart surgery, special pacemakers known as biventricular pacemaker are applied for severe heart failures cases for CRT purposes. Regardless of the type of pacemaker, the principle of operation entails the regulation of the heart rhythm using electrical signals that induce the contraction of heart muscles restoring normality in its functioning.
Explanation of the Issue
An increasing number of people are facing acute heart problems with a significant number of cardiac patients living with pacemakers estimated to be a yearly intake of 600, 000 globally (Greenspon & Patel, 2012). The concept of cardiac pacing is poorly understood in the contemporary society with misconceptions hindering patients from seeking pace making attention. While a good number of patients have opted for cardiac pacing, most of the patients have been reported to shy off from the idea, citing associated risks such as lung collapse, bruising, heart puncture and traditional misconceptions. For example, statistics show that in the US, the yearly intake of CID patients is approximately 0.6 million (Bradshaw, 2014). Translating the figure into a global perspective indicates that cardiac illness is among the leading health pandemics globally. There is thus a need to have informed patients regarding the capacity of the cardiac pacing to restore the heart functioning and the patient to lead a normal and a quality life. The ed...