Using epicardial pacing electrodes

Epicardial pacing electrodes are a widely used tool for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac dysrhythmias in cardiac surgical patients. This article describes the use of epicardial pacing wires, differentiation of unipolar and bipolar electrograms, and atrial electrogram interpretation. Diagnosis and treatment of dysrhythmias with atrial pacing is described, as is trouble-shooting. A case study and nursing diagnoses are used to illustrate the clinical applicability of epicardial pacing electrodes.