arrhythmia Flashcards

1
Q

What is arrhythmia?

A

A condition in which the heart beats with an irregular or abnormal rhythm

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2
Q

What is the characteristic description of Atrial Fibrillation (AF)?

A

Irregularly Irregular

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3
Q

What is the location of SA node?

A

Lateral aspect of SVC RA junction

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4
Q

What are the characteristics of SA node?

A
  • fires off at the fastest rate, leads the normal heart rhythm
  • exhibits automaticity, intrinsic pacemaker of the heart
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5
Q

What are the characteristics of AV node?

A
  • slow conducting tissue, allows AV nodal delay, allows time for ventricular filling before ventricular systole
  • intrinsic pacemaker of the heart but slower rate than SA node
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6
Q

What are the characteristics of His-Purkinje system?

A
  • specialised rapidly conducting cardiac tissue
  • allows synchronised contraction between ventricles
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7
Q

What controls the SA and AV nodes’ automaticity?

A

The brain controls SA and AV nodes via ANS through the vasomotor centre in the medulla

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8
Q

Bradycardia can be due to…

A
  1. Problems with Impulse Generation
    Sinus Bradycardia
  2. Interrupted conduction from atrium to ventricle
    1st degree AV block:
    - prolonged duration of conduction from atrium to ventricle
    - asymptomatic

2nd degree AV block:
- regularly dropped AV conduction
- more P waves than QRS waves

3rd degree AV block:
- independent P waves and QRS waves
- regular PP intervals
- regular RR intervals

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9
Q

What are some causes of Bradycardia?

A
  1. High vagal tone
  2. Injury to SA node
  3. Drugs
  4. Sick sinus syndrome
  5. Hypothyroidism
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10
Q

What are some symptoms of bradycardia?

A
  1. Lethargy
  2. Exertional Dyspnoea
  3. Giddiness
  4. Syncope
  5. Asymptomatic
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11
Q

What is the treatment of bradycardia?

A
  1. Assess hemodynamic status
  2. Stop medications
  3. Give Atropine
  4. Temporary Pacing
  5. Permanent Pacemaker
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12
Q

Tachycardia can be due to…

A
  1. Physiologic
    Sinus Tachycardia (exercise, stress)
  2. Abnormal automaticity/Triggered activity
    - other cardiac cells start firing spontaneously -> premature heartbeat
  3. Re-entry
  4. Disorganised Activity
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13
Q

What are the causes of AA/TA?

A
  1. Electrolyte imbalances
  2. Channelopathies
  3. Injury to myocytes
  4. Anti-arrythmic drugs
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14
Q

AA/TA in the atrium

A
  1. Atrial ectopic
    - abnormal P wave morphology
  2. Atrial tachycardia
    - abnormal P wave morphology
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15
Q

AA/TA in the ventricles

A
  1. Ventricle ectopic
    - QRS broad and bizarre
    - Ventricular depolarisation does not involve His-Purkinje system
  2. Ventricle tachycardia
    - HR > 100bpm
    - QRS broad and bizarre
    - Ventricular depolarisation does not involve His-Purkinje system

=> signal spreads via cell-cell and not through conduction tissue

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16
Q

Re-entry in atrium

A

Atrial flutter

  • no P waves
  • sawtooth baseline
17
Q

Re-entry in ventricles

A

Supraventricular tachycardia

  • QRS broad and bizarre
  • Ventricular depolarisation does not involve His-Purkinje system
    => signal spreads via cell-cell and not through conduction tissue
18
Q

Disorganised activity in atrium

A

Atrial Fibrillation

  • no P waves
  • sawtooth baseline
  • irregular RR intervals
19
Q

Disorganised activity in ventricle

A

Ventricular Fibrillation

20
Q

What are some symptoms of tachycardia?

A
  1. Palpitations
  2. Cardiac arrest
  3. Giddiness
  4. Syncope
  5. Asymptomatic
21
Q

What is the treatment for tachycardia?

A
  1. Assess hemodynamics status
  2. Implantable cardiac defibrillators
  3. Medications
  4. Electrophysiology study and ablation