Cardiology Arrhythmias Flashcards
Atrial Premature Beats
An atrial premature beat is an extra heartbeat caused by electrical activation of the atria (upper chambers of the heart) from an abnormal site before a normal heartbeat would occur.
Premature atrial contractions (PACs) are extra heartbeats that start in the upper chambers of your heart. When the premature, or early, signal tells the heart to contract, there may not be much blood in the heart at that moment. That means there’s not much blood to pump out.
SYMPTOMS: A flutter in your chest.
Fatigue after exercise.
Shortness of breath or chest pain.
Lightheadedness or dizziness.
CAUSE: These premature heartbeats are associated with lung diseases, especially if high blood pressure is present in the arteries that go between the heart and lungs. Stimulants (such as coffee and tea, alcohol or some types of cold, allergy or asthma remedies) will sometimes set off the extra bea
Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs)
Extra heartbeats that begin in one of the heart’s two lower pumping chambers (ventricles). These extra beats disrupt the regular heart rhythm, sometimes causing a sensation of a fluttering or a skipped beat in the chest.
SYMPTOMS: Fluttering.
Pounding or jumping.
Skipped beats or missed beats.
Increased awareness of the heartbeat.
CAUSE: Caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and stimulant drugs are known triggers of premature ventricular contractions. Reducing or avoiding such items may reduce PVC symptoms. Manage stress. Anxiety can trigger irregular heartbeats
Atrial fibrillation (A-fib)
An irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots in the heart. A-fib increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
SYMPTOMS: Sensations of a fast, fluttering or pounding heartbeat (palpitations)
Chest pain
Dizziness
Fatigue
Lightheadedness
Reduced ability to exercise
Shortness of breath
Weakness
CAUSE:
Problems with the heart’s structure are the most common cause of atrial fibrillation. Possible causes of atrial fibrillation include:
Coronary artery disease
Heart attack
Heart defect that you’re born with (congenital heart defect)
Heart valve problems
High blood pressure
Lung diseases
Physical stress due to surgery, pneumonia or other illnesses
Previous heart surgery
Problem with the heart’s natural pacemaker (sick sinus syndrome)
Sleep apnea
Thyroid disease such as an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) and other metabolic imbalances
Use of stimulants, including certain medications, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol
Viral infections
Some people who have atrial fibrillation have no known heart problems or heart damage.
Heart Block
When the electrical impulses that control the beating of the heart muscle are disrupted. The most serious type of heart block known as a complete, or third degree, heart block will have symptoms, but often those with less serious heart block can have symptoms too.
SYMPTOMS: Dizziness.
Fainting.
The feeling that your heart skips beats.
Chest pain.
Trouble breathing or shortness of breath.
Nausea.
Fatigue.
CAUSE: Coronary artery disease with and without a heart attack is one of the most common causes of heart block. Cardiomyopathies which are diseases that weaken the heart muscle can also result in wire damage.
Cardiac Arrest
Also known as sudden cardiac arrest, is when the heart stops beating suddenly. The lack of blood flow to the brain and other organs can cause a person to lose consciousness, become disabled or die if not treated immediately.
SYMPTOMS: Sudden collapse.
No pulse.
No breathing.
Loss of consciousness.
CAUSE: The usual cause of sudden cardiac arrest is an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia), which happens when your heart’s electrical system isn’t working correctly. The heart’s electrical system controls the rate and rhythm of your heartbeat.
Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs)
Extra heartbeats that begin in one of the heart’s two lower pumping chambers (ventricles). These extra beats disrupt the regular heart rhythm, sometimes causing a sensation of a fluttering or a skipped beat in the chest.
SYMPTOMS: a fluttering or flip-flop feeling in the chest, pounding or jumping heart rate, skipped beats and palpitations, or an increased awareness of your heartbeat.
CAUSE: Caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and stimulant drugs are known triggers of premature ventricular contractions. Reducing or avoiding such items may reduce PVC symptoms. Manage stress. Anxiety can trigger irregular heartbeats
Ventricular Ectopic Beats
A type of arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm. It is caused by the electric signals in the heart starting in a different place and travelling a different way through the heart. If it happens occasionally, it should not cause any problems but if it happens a lot, you will need to have treatment. Ventricular ectopics can be diagnosed by accident, if a person has an electrocardiogram (ECG) as part of a general check-up for instance.
SYMPTOMS: If symptoms are present, they can include dizziness, palpitations, tiredness, feeling your heart miss a beat, fainting (syncope) or almost fainting (pre-syncope).
CAUSE: the electric signals in the heart starting in a different place and travelling a different way through the heart. If it happens occasionally, it should not cause any problems but if it happens a lot, you will need to have treatment.
Sick Sinus Syndrome
A type of heart rhythm disorder. It affects the heart’s natural pacemaker (sinus node), which controls the heartbeat. Sick sinus syndrome causes slow heartbeats, pauses (long periods between heartbeats) or irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias). Sick sinus syndrome is relatively uncommon.
SYMPTOMS: A sensation of rapid, fluttering heartbeats (palpitations)
Chest pain or discomfort.
Confusion.
Dizziness or lightheadedness.
Fainting or near fainting.
Fatigue.
Shortness of breath.
Slower pulse (bradycardia)
CAUSE: Age-related wear and tear of heart tissues. Damage to the sinus node or scarring from heart surgery. Heart disease
Sinus Bradycardia
A heart rhythm that’s slower than expected (fewer than 60 beats per minute in an adult) but is otherwise normal. It’s sometimes a symptom of certain heart conditions or problems, but it can also be a sign that a person is in very good shape because of regular exercise.
SYMPTOMS: Shortness of breath.
Chest pain (angina).
Fatigue.
Heart palpitations (the unpleasant feeling of your own heartbeat without feeling for your pulse).
Memory problems.
Confusion.
Difficulty concentrating.
Dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting (syncope).
CAUSE: There are many possible factors that can cause this to occur. They can include: damage that occurs to the heart through things like aging, heart surgery, heart disease, and heart attack
Sinus Tachycardia
A regular cardiac rhythm in which the heart beats faster than normal. While it is common to have tachycardia as a physiological response to exercise or stress, it causes concern when it occurs at rest.
SYMPTOMS: A rapid heartbeat that is uncomfortable.
Shortness of breath.
Dizziness or fainting.
Chest pain.
Inability or decreased ability to exercise.
Headaches.
Feeling anxious.
CAUSE: Sinus tachycardia refers to a typical increase in the heart rate often caused by exercise or stress. Other types of tachycardia are grouped according to the part of the heart responsible for the fast heart rate and the cause
Supraventricular Tachyarrhythmia
Ventricular Fibrillation
A type of irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia). During ventricular fibrillation, the lower heart chambers contract in a very rapid and uncoordinated manner. As a result, the heart doesn’t pump blood to the rest of the body
SYMPTOMS: Lightheadedness or dizziness.
Palpitations (skipping, fluttering or pounding in the chest)
Fatigue.
Chest pressure or pain.
Shortness of breath.
Fainting spells.
CAUSE: A heart that has been damaged by a heart attack or other heart muscle damage is vulnerable to V-fib. Other causes include electrolyte abnormalities such as low potassium, certain medicines, and certain genetic diseases that affect the heart’s ion channels or electrical conduction.
Ventricular Tachycardia (VT or V-tach)
A type of abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia. It occurs when the lower chamber of the heart beats too fast to pump well and the body doesn’t receive enough oxygenated blood.
SYMPTOMS: due to a lack of oxygen and may include:
Chest pain (angina)
Dizziness.
Pounding heartbeat (palpitations)
Lightheadedness.
Shortness of breath.
CAUSE: most often occurs when the heart muscle has been damaged and scar tissue creates abnormal electrical pathways in the ventricles. Causes include: Heart attack. Cardiomyopathy or heart failure.
Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome
An extra signaling pathway between the heart’s upper and lower chambers causes a fast heartbeat (tachycardia). WPW syndrome is a heart condition present at birth (congenital heart defect). It is fairly rare.
The most common sign of Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a heart rate greater than 100 beats a minute.
Episodes of a fast heart rate (tachycardia) can begin suddenly and may last a few seconds or several hours. Episodes can occur during exercise or while at rest.
SYMPTOMS: A rapid, fluttering or pounding heartbeat (palpitations)
Chest pain
Difficulty breathing
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Fainting
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Anxiety
Infants:
Pale or faded skin color (pallor)
Blue or gray coloring to the skin, lips and nails (cyanosis)
Restlessness or irritability
Rapid breathing
Poor eating
CAUSE: Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a type of heart problem present at birth (congenital heart defect). WPW syndrome may occur with other types of congenital heart disease, such as Ebstein anomaly.
Rarely, WPW syndrome is passed down through families (inherited). The inherited, or familial, type is associated with a thickened heart muscle. This is a form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
