Part 2 book “The nuts and bolts of implantable device therapy pacemakers” has contents: Pacemaker modes and codes, single-chamber timing cycles, paced eCg and egM analysis, advanced dual-chamber timing, special features, pacemaker follow-up, automatic capture algorithms, and other contents. | 13 Chapter 13 Pacemaker modes and codes Learning objectives • Explain what is meant by pacemaker codes and their function. • Give some examples of commonly encountered pacemaker codes and explain what they mean in terms of device function. • Describe what the code T means and how it has changed over time. • Name the only four possible cardiac events that can occur in patients with a dual-chamber pacemaker. • State briefly why a max tracking and max sensor rate might be needed and name a commonly programmed setting for both. • Explain at least one common scenario that might cause a pacemaker to pace at a rate above the programmed base rate. Introduction In the early days of pacing, several manufacturers had devices on the market. While these devices had similar functions, each manufacturer employed its own unique terminology to describe device function. In some cases, three different companies might use three different terms to describe the very same thing. The result was a lot of confused clinicians! The Inter-Society Commission for Heart Disease (ICHD) was formed by a group of concerned physicians to help standardize the ways pacemakers were being described. The original ICHD code was published in 1974. Since that time, the code has evolved with pacemaker technology. This chapter discusses the current rather than the historical code, although we should be aware of why and how pacemaker codes got started in the first place. Among other things, the code differentiates single-chamber from dual-chamber devices. This chapter will not only discuss how the codes work and explain these differences, but it will also go into reasons why a physician might select a singlechamber versus a dual-chamber device. There are not only specific indications for single-chamber and dual-chamber pacemakers, but there may be other factors that enter into consideration as well. After all, pacemakers can last 10 years or more, so selecting the right pacemaker is sort of .
