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Will The New Pacemaker Work Despite The Health Worsening?
I d like an answer to a question but I won t be paying for it. My 96 yr old mother has one and it has been replaced once. She is wondering what to do if her health worsens,like alzheimers or just falls apart around her. Will her pacemaker just keep her going? I m assuming if her heart is strong it will. So. I imagine her POLST form should indicate that if she fails miserably she may want it disconnected?
Tue, 23 Sep 2014
Dear Sir/madam
Thanks for your query.
Irrespective of her illnesses, the pacemaker will go on stimulating the heart, till the heart is responsive to electrical stimuli and this is the limitation of the pacemaker also. It will not help any other failing organ system.
Moreover if she is pacemaker dependent, i.e. her heart needs pacemaker to maintain rhythm, she need to get it replaced till she is alive, else she may have problems.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder
Thanks for your query.
Irrespective of her illnesses, the pacemaker will go on stimulating the heart, till the heart is responsive to electrical stimuli and this is the limitation of the pacemaker also. It will not help any other failing organ system.
Moreover if she is pacemaker dependent, i.e. her heart needs pacemaker to maintain rhythm, she need to get it replaced till she is alive, else she may have problems.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder
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