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Flotation balloon cardiac catheters designed to deliver pacing stimuli to the heart; usually they can also detect bioelectric signals from the heart. These catheters include electrodes at or near their distal tip; the electrodes are usually applied to the ventricles. The electrodes are connected through the catheter lumen to an external pulse generator (pacemaker) that generates the electrical pacing impulses; they also make possible the display of the electrocardiographic signal. Pacing electrode catheters are mostly used in emergencies during bradycardia or asystole until a pacemaker can be implanted; to control the heart rate during and/or after surgery; and during cardiac catheterization procedures (e.g., electrophysiologic studies).
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