Cardiac Arrhythmias Flashcards
Arrhythmias causes
Normal cardiac contractions
Electrocardiogram records this activity
Disorders of cellular automaticity and conductivity underlying cause of most arrhythmias
Supraventricular Arrhythmias due to
Sinus nodal disturbances
Disturbances of atrial rhythm
Heart block
Ventricular Arrhythmias due to
Premature ventricular complexes
Ventricular tachycardia
Ventricular fibrillation
Atrial fibrilations
Rapid, disorganized, weak atrial contractions bombard the AV node
Results in irregular, rapid ventricular contractions
Blood effectively bounces around atria and this bouncing can form a clot. If it gets into right ventricle, you are setting patient up for pulmonary embolus. Left ventricle will shoot the clot up to the brain and cause a stroke. No symptoms on a day to day basis.
Heart block
Impulse slowed or blocked in AV node Ventricles may generate a contraction (slower)
Ventricular tachycardia
Rapid, regular ventricular contractions Inadequate ventricular filling/pumping to body
Ventricular fibrillation
Rapid, chaotic impulses
Fatal if not restored to NSR within minutes
Quivering more or less. Ventricle isn’t filling with blood, not pumping, just isn’t working. With BLS, faster you pound on patients chest the more likely they will live.
Ablation -
removal of body tissue.
Bradycarida— treat with
implantable pacemakers
Tachycardia— treat with
drugs
Oral Anticoagulant Therapy for A-Fib
at
Increased risk for stroke secondary to thromboembolism
There is a range of thinness for blood, for afib,
INR (internationally normalized ratio) is between 2-3. Patients are drawn weekly, twice a month, once a month. Depends on their physician and how well the drug works. The reason why the other drugs don’t need to be monitored is because coumadin can have so many interactions based on other drugs and diet.
Warfarin - not treating
arrhythmia (this is treated with something else), treats risk of getting arrhythmia.
IF INR ABOVE
3, DO NOT TREAT.
