Blunt trauma-induced pacemaker failure

Trauma-induced complete pacemaker lead fracture 8 months prior to hospitalization: A case report

Trauma-induced complete lead fracture is a rare complication of pacemaker implantation. Only a few cases have been previously reported. Common treatment included replacement of pacemaker and/or extraction of fractured lead. In this report, however, we describe this unique case of complete traumatic pacemaker lead fracture. The patient had her right-ventricular lead fractured after a bicycle accident and had lived with the fractured lead for 8 months prior to her hospitalization. After examinations, she was treated with a relatively conservative strategy. The pacemaker and fractured lead were left for further observation and follow-up.

Emergency Care of Patients with Pacemakers and Defibrillators

Devices such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are commonly inserted to treat unstable cardiac rhythm disturbances. Despite the benefits of these devices on mortality and morbidity rates, patients often present to the emergency department with complaints related to device insertion or malfunction. Emergency physicians must be able to rapidly identify potential life threats caused by pacemaker malfunction, ICD firing, and complications associated with implantation of the devices.

Permanent cardiac pacemakers: issues relevant to the emergency physician, part II

Many people benefit from the implantation of cardiac pacemakers for management of certain cardiac dysrhythmias. These patients are seen regularly in the Emergency Department with a variety of pacemaker complications and malfunctions. The presence of a pacemaker may also affect management of unrelated medical problems. This, the second of a two-part series, covers the causes, diagnosis, and management of pacemaker malfunction; the pacemaker syndrome; the pacemaker Twiddler's syndrome; and other considerations in the paced patient including diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, ACLS protocols, trauma, and sources of interference.

Intraoperative pacemaker dysfunction caused by the use of electrocautery during a total hip arthroplasty

Pacemaker dysfunction encountered during orthopedic procedures is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication. With an increasing number of orthopedic procedures performed on the aging population, it is not uncommon to encounter patients with pacemakers requiring major orthopedic intervention. Most, if not all, major orthopedic procedures performed today require the use of electrocautery for hemostasis. In this article we review the literature for pacemaker complications and report a case of pacemaker failure after a single use of the unipolar electrocautery on a patient undergoing a total hip replacement.