Overview

A pacemaker is an electronic device used to treat patients who have symptoms caused by abnormally slow heartbeats. A pacemaker is capable of keeping track of the patient's heartbeats. If the patient's heart is beating too slowly, the pacemaker will generate electrical signals similar to the heart's natural signals, causing the heart to beat faster.

The purpose of the pacemaker is to maintain heartbeats so that adequate oxygen and nutrients are delivered through the blood to the organs of the body.

The heart is an organ consisting of four chambers that pump blood. The two upper chambers are called the right and left atria, and the two lower chambers are called the right and left ventricles. The right atrium receives venous blood (oxygen-poor blood) from the body and pumps it into the right ventricle.

The right ventricle pumps the oxygen-poor blood to the lungs to receive oxygen. The oxygen-rich blood from the lungs then travels to the left atrium and is pumped by the left atrium into the left ventricle. The left ventricle delivers the oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.

In addition to oxygen, the blood transports other nutrients (glucose, electrolytes, etc.) to the organs. In order to keep a body healthy, the heart must maintain an adequate heartbeat (heart rate) so the left ventricle to the body delivers that sufficient amount of oxygen and nutrients.