The nurse is caring for a patient with an implanted pacemaker. While observing the cardiac monitor, the nurse notes extra pacer spikes that are not followed by a heart beat. The nurse suspects which condition?
Explanation
• Failure to capture is when the
• Incorrect: Failure to pace is when the
• Incorrect: Failure to sense is when the pacer cannot sense the heartbeat, leading to poorly timed firing by the
• Incorrect: Asystole is the absence of a heart rate