Presenter: John Boettcher; Director, UT Health EP Heart Training Program
Brief Summary
Basic concepts of pacing including the types and codes of pacemakers/defibrillators, the components that make up a pacing system, basic electrical concepts needed to understand pacing functionality and basic troubleshooting of these systems. Topics also covered will be magnet function and the basics of remote monitoring.
Learning Objectives
1. Explain the different types of pacemakers and the NBG Code
2. Identify the components of a pacemaker circuit
3. Describe the clinical significance of alterations in voltage, current, and resistance
4. Identify a capture threshold and calculate safety margins
5. Understand sensing and sensitivity in a pacemaker
6. Understand magnet operation for a pacemaker and defibrillator
About the Presenter
My career began as a certified Kinesiotherapist/Exercise Physiologist (ACSM Exercise Specialist) in the VAMC system where I worked with a variety of patients including Cardiac, Ortho, Neuro and Psychiatric. Having moved from Battle Creek, MI to Houston, TX to work in the Texas Medical Center, I was recruited to work for Medtronic as a Clinical Specialist by the Medtronic Sales Rep who was a friend. Since then I’ve spent the past 30 years in the Cardiac Rhythm Management business with Medtronic and St. Jude Medical (now Abbott) in various roles (Clinical Specialist, Sales Representative, Regional Sales Director and Technical Field Engineer) and geographies (Texas, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming). My current role as Director of the UT Health EP Heart Training Program came about in February 2018 when the founder of the largest Electrophysiology group in Houston asked me to consider the role.