DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO READ THEIR PACEMAKER REPORTS

Should I say welcome to the Pacemaker Club Academy?

by Gemita - 2024-06-19 04:51:19

Alegna, you could learn how to understand your reports by first downloading a copy of your specific pacemaker model manual from your pacemaker manufacturer site.  I see you have a Biotronik.  I have a Medtronic pacemaker.

As you know, your pacemaker monitoring reports can be obtained from your cardiologist/electrophysiologist/pacemaker clinic.  You can ask them questions about your Settings and what they mean for you personally, although in my experience doctors and pacing technicians don’t always have the time to explain these things which is why the manufacturer manual and having access to your Settings can be so helpful. 

To answer your specific question, if you scroll down to Rate Histograms in your monitoring reports, you will see the percentage pacing time.  The Rate histograms show the amount of pacing and sensing for each chamber at different rates.  I sometimes find my % pacing time in each chamber on an initial summary report too.  You will soon get to know where to find this information.

For example I am paced 98% in my right atrium and approx 2-4% in my right ventricle.  Some members may be paced 100% in both chambers, while others are paced minimally in each chamber or in one chamber.  These percentages can change depending on so many factors like your lower rate limit setting or other pacemaker settings, your lifestyle (how much you depend on your pacemaker), your heart condition or another health condition, any medication you are taking and so on.

We always say in this Club that those percentages really don’t mean that much.  What always matters is “how we feel”.  We needed a pacemaker to “feel” better, not to worry about the percentage time we are being paced. If we feel okay, then we are probably pacing the right amount of time in each chamber.  If we don’t feel well and have specific symptoms, then of course we should always consult our pacemaker team.

So, I don’t see this as trying to make improvements on how frequently I pace.   For me, a pacemaker is really about having support at any time when I might need it 

Lots of homework

by sgmfish - 2024-06-21 15:30:01

I've taught myself to read these reports at maybe a 70% level. It took a lot of work reading various manuals and articles. I didn't expect to be taught this by the medical staff in my life, they simply don't have the time.....especially since it's rather complex. I have found that I now actually understand those reports better than many in the medical staff. I'm a data guy so it was worth to me, but I suspect the effort would not be worth it to many....especially since, after lots of intial resistance, I've come to believe in the mantra here that what's important is: "How do you feel".

As Gemita notes the histograms of AT/AF Burden type data are pretty useful. I also like to study the "Freeze Capture" strips. A PM is like having an EKG embedded in your heart at all times; so those strips contain a LOT of data (but it ain't easy to learn to read it!).

Probably the MOST useful thing is that I can track *exactly* what my PM's parameters are set to. Sometimes someone changes those without you knowing it. (I once had 8 changed by a new technician who, I guess, thought his way was best; I had them all changed back at the next opportunity. No one could explain why it happened, and no one caught it except me.)