Which statement about pacemakers is NOT true?

• A. They stimulate the heart to beat normally.
• B. They help manage bradycardia.
• C. They require monitoring of heart rate and rhythm.
• D. They deliver shocks during dangerous rhythms.

Answer: (D)

Pacemakers are designed to maintain an adequate heart rate by delivering electrical impulses to stimulate the heart when the intrinsic rate is too slow. This directly helps manage bradycardia by ensuring a minimum heart rate and improving blood flow. Because these devices continuously monitor the heart’s rate and rhythm to decide when pacing is needed and to detect any device or rhythm issues, ongoing monitoring is essential. The idea of delivering shocks during dangerous rhythms belongs to defibrillators, not to standard pacemakers. A device that both paces and shocks does exist (ICD or CRT-D), but a typical pacemaker alone does not deliver high-energy shocks.