Pacemakers: Temporary

Key points

• Indications: symptomatic/haemodynamically unstable bradycardia not responding to atropine.
• Post-ANTERIOR MI: type 2 or complete heart block.
• Trifascicular block prior to surgery.
• Post-INFERIOR MI complete heart block is common — manage conservatively if asymptomatic and stable.

Decision points in this pathway

• Symptomatic/unstable AND not responding to atropine?
• Post-MI heart block?

The full step-by-step algorithm, including what to do at each branch, opens in the app for approved members.