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Used extensively in cardiac diagnostic and corrective procedures, a thermodilution catheter is inserted into a vein in the groin or neck and fed through the heart into the pulmonary artery. A tiny glass sealed NTC thermistor is located near the tip.
During normal heart function, electrical impulses contract the heart muscle squeezing the blood into the arteries. Arrhythmias result when interference from damaged tissue or nerves effectively "short circuit" these impulses. The damage can result from genetic defects, heart attacks or other diseases and large segments of the heart can be affected. This problem has historically been treated with Pacemakers.
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