Hello and welcome to the zero to finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about pacemakers.

And if you want to follow along with written notes on this topic,

you can follow along at zero to finals.com slash pacemakers or in the cardiology section of the zero

to finals medicine book. So let's get straight

into it. Pacemakers deliver controlled electrical impulses to specific areas of the heart in order

to restore the normal electrical activity and improve the function of the heart. They consist of a

small pacemaker box called a pulse generator

and the pacing leads that carry electrical impulses

from the little pacemaker box to the relevant part of the heart.

The box is implanted under the skin, most commonly in the left anterior chest wall or the axilla, and the wires are implanted into the relevant chambers of the heart.

Modern pacemakers have a computer that monitors the natural electrical activity

and tailors its function to the natural activity of the heart.

Basically, if the heart is already working perfectly, no intervention is required

or provided by the pacemaker. Pacemaker batteries last around five years. Pacemakers do not

interfere with day-to-day electrical activities, such as using mobile phones or computers. However,

they may be a contraindication for MRI scans due to the

powerful magnets in the MRI scans. And they also can't be used with electrical interventions such as

tens machines and diathermy and surgery. Many modern pacemakers are MRI compatible, meaning that you can go through MRI scans with the pacemaker fitted.

It's worth noting that it's essential that pacemakers are removed prior to cremation in deceased patients.

On the cremation form, one of the most important tasks is to confirm whether the deceased patient has a pacemaker

and whether the pacemaker has been removed.

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