DDDR mode to VVIR mode- what it means

Youtube is your friend

by Gotrhythm - 2017-09-10 13:51:37

For an explanation of pacemaker modes check out these Youtube videos. 

For a general understanding of how pacemakers work start with

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR0nWe47eek

The second URL explains modes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-lMhDQTq7w

(The links aren't "live." You will have to copy and paste into your browser.) 

It isn't the kind of information my brain grasps easily and I find it useful to simply watch the videos over and over until the information begins to sink in.

DDDR vs VVIR Modesof pacing...

by donr - 2017-09-10 14:19:42

There is a convention used to describe how a PM functions - exactly what it does. 

DDDR -

First letter - D - tells which sections of PM generate pacing signals - D means DUAL, in other words both Atral & Ventricular sections are switched on to provide pacing spikes.  (Other choices are A = Atrium; V= ventricles)

Second Letter - D - tells which sections of PM perform Sensing function - D means DUAL, in other words both Atral & Ventricular sections are switched on to provide sensing data to the PM. This is a passive functiion and only tells the PM what the two sections of the heart are doing. 

Third letter - D - The PM uses the same two leads to sense what is going on with either the Atrial or Ventricular sections.  A section of the heart may be either "Triggered" or "Inhibited" when activity is sensed.  Here , the D means Dual, but that says that a section of the heart is both triggered AND inhibited. In other words, if native heart electrical activity that will cause normal contraction is sensed for one of the sections, the PM for that section is inhibited (prevented from occurring).  Because you do not want TWO pacing signals sent to the section;  If no native electrical pacing activity is sensed, you want the heart to contract, so a pacing signal is generated by the PM.

Fourth letter - R - tells you that the Rate responsive function is turned on or off.  R means it is turned on.

Go here on the web for a detailed discussion: http://sqrl.mcmaster.ca/_SQRLDocuments/Pacing_Modes.pdf.

Donr