What implanted cardiac device does the patient have?

• A. Left ventricular assist device
• B. Dual-chamber pacemaker
• C. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
• D. External pacing pads

Answer: (B)

This item is testing how to identify an implanted device by its function and where its leads sit. A dual-chamber pacemaker provides electrical pacing to both the right atrium and the right ventricle, so it has two intracardiac leads—one in the atrium and one in the ventricle—with the generator placed under the chest skin. This setup is chosen to maintain coordinated timing between atrial and ventricular contractions in patients with bradycardia or AV block.

In contrast, a left ventricular assist device is a mechanical pump that supports circulation in heart failure and doesn’t provide intracardiac pacing leads. An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is designed to detect and terminate life-threatening fast rhythms with shocks (and may have pacing features as well), but its primary distinguishing feature is its defibrillation capability rather than routine pacing of both chambers. External pacing pads, meanwhile, are not implanted devices at all.