transvenous pacers

["ragnes" <ragnes@gateway.net>]

    I am looking into our team's policies regarding transvenous pacers,
especially whether or not to change out the pacer box or not prior to
transport. I have heard concern about losing capture when changing the
boxes, especially in a patient with no underlying rythmn, or a patient who
is very pacer dependant.
    When I worked in a cardiac surgical ICU, we would not change the pacer
box, the one they came out of the OR on stayed with them until they didn't
need it anymore, so I don't have any personal experience with changing a box
and losing capture.  The new medtronic's we were using even had a backup
battery that would continue to pace, even if you needed to change the
battery.
    What are teams out there doing? Are you changing the boxes over to your
pacer rountinely, have you ever had a problem? If you are not changing the
pacer, and instead bringing the sending facilities pacer, do you leave them
with yours ( many hospitals are concerend about only having one or two
boxes)? Do you change them at the receiving facility if at all? Do you make
arrangements to fed-ex or otherwise return the equipment?
Do you have any written policies covering this? Does anyone know what the
manufacturer reccomendations are?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tim Martin, RN BSN
Med Center Air
Charlotte NC



_______________________________________________
Flightmed mailing list