A Primer on Pacemakers and Defibrillators for Nurses

In summary, CIEDs are an increasingly common therapy for a multitude of cardiac pa-thologies, including sinus node dysfunction, heart block, ventricular arrhythmias, SCD prevention, and systolic heart failure. Although the concepts of pacing have been around for more than half a century, innovative devices like the LCP and the S-ICD have shifted the paradigm. Nurses encounter patients with CIEDs in all aspects of the health care setting. Because exciting CIED therapies are on the horizon, nurses must stay up-to-date to optimize outcomes for CIED patients.