Heart Treatments

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Application:

•  Use of artificial pacemakers to regulate the heart rate

    
An artificial pacemaker is a medical device that delivers electrical impulses to the heart in order to regulate heart rate

  • Modern pacemakers are externally programmable, allowing cardiologists to make adjustments as required


Artificial pacemakers are typically used to treat one of two conditions: 

  • Abnormally slow heart rates (bradycardia)
  • Arrhythmias arising from blockages within the heart’s electrical conduction system


Artificial Pacemaker

artificial pacemaker


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Application:

•  Use of defibrillation to treat life threatening cardiac conditions

    
Fibrillation is the rapid, irregular and unsynchronised contraction of the heart muscle fibres

  • This causes heart muscle to convulse spasmodically rather than beat in concert, preventing the optimal flow of blood


Fibrillation is treated by applying a controlled electrical current to the heart via a device called a defibrillator

  • This functions to depolarise the heart tissue in an effort to terminate unsynchronised contractions
  • Once heart tissue is depolarised, normal sinus rhythm should hopefully be re-established by the sinoatrial node


ECG Trace of a Patient with Ventricular Fibrillation

defibrillation