If you are interested in seeing the placement of a Transvenous Pacemaker after reading this post check out Part 2 (Procedural Slide Set) and Part 3 (the first person view of the procedure)

Reasons to Pace in the First Place

Hemodynamically unstable+

1. Sinus Bradycardia - seen in 17% of acute MI patients (especially inferior or anterior wall MI) [1,2]

2. AV Block - may be due to ischemia (15-19% of all Acute MI) [2,3]

3. Drug Overdose - with the goal of maintaining adequate hemodynamics while your medical therapy/dialysis has an opportunity to work.