What is the purpose of a pacing lead?

The primary purpose of a pacing lead is to carry electrical impulses from the pacemaker to the heart. Pacing leads are essential components of a cardiac pacemaker system, which is designed to regulate heart rhythms. When the heart's natural pacemaker fails or there is a need to stimulate the heart's contraction at a consistent rate, the pacemaker sends electrical signals through the pacing lead to trigger heartbeats. This helps maintain an appropriate heart rate and ensures effective blood circulation throughout the body, especially in individuals with arrhythmias or other heart rhythm disorders.

While conducting blood to the heart, measuring blood pressure, and initiating surgical procedures are vital functions in cardiac care, they are not the roles of a pacing lead. Instead, these functions fall under the purview of other medical devices and procedures used in cardiology.