NREMT Crash Course Practice Exam

Implantable pacemakers regulate heart rate and rhythm by delivering electrical impulses that stimulate the heart to beat. They’re placed under the skin with leads that reach the heart, and they monitor the heart’s natural activity. When the heart is beating too slowly or has a conduction block, the device sends pacing pulses to depolarize the heart muscle and produce a steady, adequate rate and synchronized atrial and ventricular contractions, improving cardiac output and symptoms.

While a defibrillator is also an implanted device, its primary role is to stop life-threatening fast rhythms by delivering a shock, though some devices can pace as needed. A stent keeps a blood vessel open, and a catheter is a tool used to access blood vessels or chambers for procedures, not to regulate heart rhythm with regular pacing.