Anaesthetic management of the patient with a permanent pacemaker

Over 25,000 people in Britain now have pacemakers, and the number is increasing steadily. Anaesthetists encounter patients with pacemakers regularly. Knowledge about the increasingly wide range of pacemakers available is necessary to ensure safe management of these patients, many of whom are frail and elderly. This review outlines the indications for permanent pacing, the types of pacemaker used and the assessment and management of pacemaker patients for anaesthesia.