Read-Only Pacemaker/Defibrillator Interrogation in the Emergency Department

Traditionally, only certain specialists have been able to interrogate pacemakers or defibrillators because traditional interrogation devices can also make potentially dangerous adjustments to those devices' functions. This process entails long emergency department (ED) stays for patients, especially in rural or isolated centers, even though most interrogations do not result in urgent interventions. Read-only interrogation devices can be used with minimal training and can transmit device information to remote experts for interpretation.

These authors conducted a retrospective chart review of 182 read-only interrogations from 2015 to 2017 at a single rural, community ED at which electrophysiology consultation was not available on nights or wee…