"Move the Dials" to Standardization of Temporary Pacemaker Threshold Testing

K. Prenger, S. Chucta
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio

Please explain the educational or technical point that this video addresses.: Temporary pacemakers can be lifesavers for patients following cardiac surgery, but how many times have you seen staff randomly turning dials to see if they can improve cardiac function and hemodynamic parameters?
We empowered bedside providers (RNs/APPs) to take charge of temporary threshold testing.
We offer a threshold testing class that reviews pacer basics, introduces threshold testing concepts, identifies factors that impact cardiac electrical potentials and then use a pacemaker simulator to demonstrate the steps of pacemaker threshold testing. The simulator allows the learner to not only observe the ECG response to changing pacemaker settings, but also allows the participants to practice threshold testing without concern for negative patient response. Finally common abnormally rhythms are reviewed, and the staff have a chance to "move the dials" to improve the patient outcomes.

Please provide a 250 word summary of the surgical video being submitted.: The video is a snippet of what happens in our temporary pacemaker training class. It includes a preview of some slides we cover for basic content, unit policies and procedures, normal and abnormal paced rhythms and required documentation. We will demonstrate how we use a pacing simulator to review the temporary pacemaker threshold testing steps and how the simulator then allows the staff to 'move the dials' on their own, as they practice threshold testing and how they might intervene to fix some abnormal paced rhythms to improve patients' hemodynamic stability.