Living with a permanent cardiac pacemaker

Responses of 30 cardiac pacemaker recipients showed that 90 per cent were aware of warning signs and symptoms prior to pacemaker implantation, but only 37 per cent sought medical attention when the initial warning signs were evident. The group which sought care experienced more symptoms per patient than the other groups which did not seek early treatment. The most commonly occurring symptoms experienced by the patients prior to pacemaker insertion were blackouts and slow regarding pacemaker implantation were made by the physician alone. Patients took inventory after implantation, and 60 per cent reported that they were fortunate to have received a pacemaker. During the inventory and long-term recovery stages, patients who thought they had experienced few life-style changes after receiving a cardiac pacemaker reported positive feelings about living with a cardiac pacemaker. Many of the patients' problems in adjusting to a permanently implanted cardiac pacemaker and participating in its maintenance were related to a lack of accurate information about what to expect or how to assure normal functioning of the pacemaker.