1.
Anesth Analg
; 80(3): 642, 1995 Mar.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-7864451
2.
Can J Anaesth
; 38(5): 616-8, 1991 Jul.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-1934215
ABSTRACT
We report a case of electrocautery-induced pacemaker failure that resulted in asystole in a 15-year-old girl scheduled for cardiac surgery. Her pacemaker was converted to the asynchronous mode the night before surgery. Electromagnetic interference from the unipolar electrocautery caused a reduction in the battery voltage, which allowed the digital circuitry, but not the voltage control oscillator (VCO), to work properly. Eventually the battery current drain caused VCO "lock-out," and pacemaker and battery failure. This report demonstrates that electrocautery-induced pacemaker failure can occur, even after conversion to asynchronous mode.