The benefits of electricity: transcutaneous pacing in EMS

Abstract

Transcutaneous temporary pacing offers a noninvasive, rapid and effective way to institute ventricular pacing, support the patient's hemodynamics and re-establish perfusion. Prehospital clinicians can easily and rapidly initiate external pacing in an emergency. The two most common reasons for using temporary pacing to maintain an optimal cardiac output are when the patient has a bradycardia with inadequate perfusion or is asystolic. The introduction of pediatric pacing electrodes makes pacing of infants and small children possible. Although the effectiveness of noninvasive pacing in children is variable and the need is infrequent, the technique can be lifesaving in certain conditions. The use of multifunction defibrillation-cardioversion-pacemaker electrodes allows the prehospital clinician to rapidly switch between therapies as required.