Temporary pacing following cardiac surgery - a reference guide for surgical teams

Temporary pacing wires are often used following cardiac surgery to optimise the heart rhythm. Although setting and checking temporary pacemakers is typically undertaken by anaesthetists, intensivists, and nursing staff who care for post-cardiac surgical patients, almost all patients with temporary pacing wires are transferred to the ward with the pacing wires left in situ, where surgical, often junior, staff become responsible for temporary pacing wire management. Thus, knowledge is required not only of temporary pacing wire indications, types, and positioning at surgery, but also of practical skills in performing a pacing check, setting the pacemaker, and troubleshooting common problems. The available literature targets clinicians well-versed in temporary pacing wire management. However, this paper provides a practical 'how to' for surgical staff managing temporary pacing wires in a non-critical care environment.