Heart Treatments

• An artificial pacemaker is a medical device that delivers electrical impulses to the heart in order to regulate heart rate
• Modern pacemakers are externally programmable, allowing cardiologists to make adjustments as required
• Artificial pacemakers are typically used to treat bradycardias or arrythmias
• Fibrillation is the rapid, irregular and unsynchronised contraction of the heart muscle fibres
• Fibrillation causes heart muscle to convulse spasmodically rather than beat in concert, preventing the optimal flow of blood
• Fibrillation is treated by applying a controlled electrical current to the heart via a device called a defibrillator
• Defibrillators function to depolarise the heart tissue in an effort to terminate unsynchronised contractions
• Once heart tissue is depolarised, normal sinus rhythm should hopefully be re-established by the SAN