question about counters

My Mom had a DDDR type pacemaker installed (S602). The LRL is set to 50ppm as my Mom usually has slow heart rate
around 50ppm. The AsVs and ApVs of her pacer are around 50% while the AsVp and ApVp are only around 1%.

My question is whether she needs to set LRL to
a lower value such as 45ppm, so that she can use her own atrial most of the time? My concern here is that if she uses pacemaker too often, will her own atrial gets lazy?

BTW, what is the difference between AsVs and ApVs, or between AsVp and ApVp?

Thanks a lot.

3 Comments

LRL limit

by ElectricFrank - 2009-06-11 11:06:32

I haven't seen anything about the heart becoming lazy due to pacing. Setting it lower would likely extend battery life and might make for a more natural pacing for her. The main issue is whether at 45bpm would she feel more fatigued. I'm not sure the change would be worth it.

frank

LOWER LIMIT

by pete - 2009-06-12 02:06:02

50 is the lowest limit recommended to be set. Lower than this and you are more susceptable to tiredness and even blood clot formation. You may even feel unwell at a lower limit. I dont think the doctors will be willing to lower it for you. Cheers Peter

low

by Tracey_E - 2009-06-12 07:06:54

It's pretty rare to be set below 50, 60 is usually the lowest they want to go.

AsVs= Atrial sensing, ventricle sensing
ApVs- atrial pacing, ventricle sensing
etc...

I don't know if you can say that her rate is "naturally" 50... if she was healthy and her hr was regular at that rate, she would not have needed the pm. My rate was always in the mid 40's on its own. I got by, but my heart was trying to beat faster but couldn't. The pm fixed it and my resting rate is now 70's. I feel a million times better.

I would not be worried about her heart getting lazy, I've never heard of that happening. What is known is a long list of bad side effects of a chronically low rate. The important thing is to have her set so that she feels good, whatever that rate may be. It may take some experimenting to find out.

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