Artificial cardiac pacemaker
Artificial cardiac pacemaker
An Artificial cardiac pacemaker (pronounced: ahr-tuh-fish-uhl kahr-dee-ak peys-mey-ker) is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart. The primary purpose of a pacemaker is to maintain an adequate heart rate, either because the heart's natural pacemaker is not fast enough, or because there is a block in the heart's electrical conduction system.
Etymology
The term "pacemaker" comes from the English words "pace" and "maker", which literally means "one who sets the pace". The term "artificial" is used to differentiate these devices from the heart's natural pacemaker, the sinoatrial node.
Related Terms
- Arrhythmia: A condition in which the heart beats with an irregular or abnormal rhythm.
- Bradycardia: A slower than normal heart rate.
- Tachycardia: A faster than normal heart rate.
- Electrode: A conductor through which electricity enters or leaves an object, substance, or region.
- Sinoatrial node: The heart's natural pacemaker.
- Atrioventricular node: A part of the electrical conduction system of the heart that coordinates the top of the heart.
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy: Therapy used to improve the heart's efficiency by coordinating the action of the left and right ventricles.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Artificial cardiac pacemaker
- Wikipedia's article - Artificial cardiac pacemaker
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