Car Crash

Hello everyone,
This is my first post as I am new to having a pacemaker and in fact it was implanted on July 29 2013. On 9/17/13 my car was hit hard on the driver's side, at a high rate of speed by an out of control driver who crossed a double yellow line and hit me from the side. I had to be extricated from the car and was brought to the local emergency department. I was worked up for everything except the obvious. Nobody thought to examine my pacer or more importantly the leads. While I have some the shortness of breath I had just after the implant, that may be just weakness from the accident. My biggest worry is leads. I have pain and burning where the leads come out of the pacemaker and when I raise my left arm over my head my pulse zooms over 100 even if I am standing still and inactive. Should I have the pacer checked? Is this an emergency? I think I should have it at least examined. Does anybody have a suggestion? Many thanks.

3 Comments

My humble opinion

by Marie12 - 2013-10-05 04:10:08

Get yourself checked out ASAP. I have an ICD/Pacemaker and if my heart rate was going up to 100 just standing still and inactive I'd be heading to the hospital. The pain and burning would make it even more so. What have you got to lose by going? You need to take care of yourself and have this checked out.

Let us know how you make out and good luck. More importantly TAKE CARE!!!

Possible Effects Of Car Crash

by SMITTY - 2013-10-05 05:10:25


Hello HK,

I agree with Marie, get a PM checkup. If you don't need it, it doesn't hurt to do a checkup, just cost money.

Seriously, if you are having a change in heart rate or having pain, especially with arm movement, now that you were not having before the collision, to me that is all the more reason to get a checkup.

I may not classify the need to have it done as an emergency, but I think it certainly ranks in the urgent category.

Good luck,

Smitty

Welcome to MY club!!!!!

by donr - 2013-10-06 02:10:01

HK: Trade my name for yours & the side of the strike & add a few weeks to the elapsed time from implant to impact & we are identical!

Don = HK; Right side = Left; 2 1/2 months = 1 1/2 months; No exam of PM= No exam of PM.

I took a Jeep Cherokee at 35 MPH in the right side when I was a passenger, hood ornament about 1 foot behind my right shoulder, right behind the door post. I SAW the impact & can still remember seeing that hood ornament impact us. Door post was driven into my right shoulder. Right side airbag deployed, but my head went through the passenger side window, shattering the glass (more later on why I'm still alive from that). Had to have the passenger door ripped from the car by the "Jaws of Life."

Suffered somewhere between 8 & 12 broken ribs, broken & displaced collar bone, HEART PARTIALLY RIPPED FROM ITS MOORINGS, resulting in a small Aortic aneurysm, lacerated liver, bruised kidney, partially collapsed RLL of lungs, suspected broken neck, suspected concussion. I'm on Coumadin & they were concerned about internal bleeding. I was 70 yrs old. Car was absolutely totaled, three months before being paid off.

Spent 3 days in Neuro ICU, 9 more days in regular care room.

That's the bad part. The GOOD part is that the next AM, they X-Rayed my neck & head & ruled out broken neck & concussion. For a good reason - you see, when my head took out the window, I was WEARING A SKATE BOARDERS HELMET. Did not get a single scratch on the outside my body.

Liver & kidney took care of themselves, so no surgery.

Lung did not cooperate, so on 12th day, they shoved a garden hose complete w/ brass nozzle into lung cavity to drain it. Went home to finish recovering.

Now for the cardio part. No one EVER came in to check my PM. Never even saw a cardio to ask me questions. Since this was a hosp out of my cardio's range, he heard nothing till I called to see him the Mon after getting out of te hosp. He was furious & I had a full workup - X-Ray, Echo, PM Download & he examined me. The Newly implanted lead was still firmly embedded in Moby Dick's flany; my heart was ticking along quite nicely. The PM showed nothing more than Ho Hum. The X-Ray was normal - other than showing a bunch of cracked ribs. Ah, but the echo showed that I now had some fluid in its sac & I had a small Aortic Aneurysm that I did NOT have previously.

Six yrs later, I still have the aneurysm, but everything else looks fine.

I strongly suggest you have your cardio thoroughly examine you. ASAP!

The best to you.

Don

You know you're wired when...

The mortgage on your device is more than your house.

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