title: Insertion and Management of Temporary Pacemakers.
abstract: Temporary pacemakers are used in a variety of critical care settings. These life-saving devices are reviewed in 2 major categories in this review: first, the insertion and management of epicardial pacemakers after and during cardiac surgery; and second, the insertion of transvenous temporary pacemakers for the emergent treatment of bradyarrhythmias. Temporary epicardial pacemakers are used routinely in patients recovering from cardiac surgery. Borrowing from advances in cardiac resynchronization therapy there are many theoretical and untested benefits to pacing the postoperative cardiac surgery patient. Temporary transvenous pacing is traditionally an emergency procedure to stabilize patients suffering from hemodynamically unstable bradyarrhythmia. We review the traditional and expanding use of transvenous pacemakers inside and outside the operating room.
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Denver, CO, USA breandan.sullivan@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Breandan Lawrence
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bartels
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamilton
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000628:therapy; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D003422:Critical Care; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D011182:Postoperative Care; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: cardiothoracic anesthesia; critical care; perioperative; temporary epicardial pacemaker; temporary transvenous pacemaker