In pacemaker management, what is a key step when oversensing occurs?

In pacemaker management, what is a key step when oversensing occurs?

• A. Disable pacing entirely
• B. Adjust the sensing sensitivity to reduce oversensing
• C. Increase the battery size
• D. Switch to single-chamber mode

Answer: (B)

Oversensing happens when the pacemaker detects signals that aren’t true cardiac events, which can cause unwanted pacing inhibition or inappropriate pacing. The most effective step to address this is to adjust the sensing sensitivity so the device is less likely to pick up extraneous signals. By making the sensing threshold less sensitive (i.e., increasing the threshold), noncardiac signals, far-field activity, or EMI are less likely to be mistaken for heartbeats, allowing the device to reliably detect true intrinsic beats again. If needed, this adjustment is paired with checks of lead integrity and reprogramming to optimize sensing while still preserving appropriate detection of actual activity.

Oversensing happens when the pacemaker detects signals that aren’t true cardiac events, which can cause unwanted pacing inhibition or inappropriate pacing. The most effective step to address this is to adjust the sensing sensitivity so the device is less likely to pick up extraneous signals. By making the sensing threshold less sensitive (i.e., increasing the threshold), noncardiac signals, far-field activity, or EMI are less likely to be mistaken for heartbeats, allowing the device to reliably detect true intrinsic beats again. If needed, this adjustment is paired with checks of lead integrity and reprogramming to optimize sensing while still preserving appropriate detection of actual activity.