Supraventricular and Ventricular Arrhthmias Flashcards
What are the mechanisms of arrhythmias?
Automaticity due to changes in phase 4 depolarization
Single focus - drug toxicity
Triggered beats - rapid firing at single focus, triggered by beat before = early or late afterdepolarizations during phases 3 or 4, often single focus due to drug toxicity
What are escape beats?
Arise from ectopic focus and occur after pause in heart rhythm
What are the alpha and beta re entry pathways?
Alpha - typically slow conduction, short refractory period
Beta - typically fast conduction, long refractory period
What is the mechanism of symptoms of SVTs?
Degree of symptoms often correlates with HR and underlying cardiac abnormality
Decreased BP due to poor LV filling secondary to rapid rate –> weakness and light headedness
Pounding sensation due to cannon a waves - suggests AV nodal reentry
What is WPW?
EKG has delta wave, short PR interval and prolonged but narrow QRS
accessory pathway connecting atrium and ventricle - an AVRT
Orthodromic - ventricles activated down normal conduction system during tachycardia, no delta wave during tachycardia just at rest
How can you get a normal PR and QRS in WPW without a delta wave?
Premature atrial contraction may result in block in accessory pathway
What is antidromic?
Direction of AV reentry circuit that travels through AV node in opposite direction
AP in WPW activates first
Wide complex even though it is SUPRAventricular - less common
What is the mechanism of AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT)?
Both reentrant circuits in AV node - EKG normal at sinus rhythm - looks like just fast pathway, only hints of p waves during tach
Slow and fast AV pathway
Premature atrial beat - fast pathway blocks resulting in prolonged PR from slow pathway
Rhythm continues until conduction block in one of pathways
What does atrial tachycardia result from?
Reentry, automaticity, or triggered activity at distinct atrial focus Paroxysmal or show a warm up in rate Tends to turn on and off Usually 1:1 conduction to ventricles Different p wave from distant site
How can you use the p wave to differentiate between AVRT, AVNRT, and atrial tach?
P after QRS in AVRT
P in QRS in AVNRT (more common)
P before QRS in atrial tach
What is the most frequent type of atrial arrhythmia?
A fib
What is an important target for ablation in a fib?
Triggered activity and reentry originating in or around pulmonary veins
What are the different types of a fib?
Paroxysmal - self initiating and self terminating 7 days and requiring intervention to terminate
Chronic or permanent - accepted as final rhythm
When can atrial fibrillation be dangerous?
Occurring during WPW
In a fib, the accessory pathway causes rapid conduction to ventricles, resulting in low BP, syncope, or death
QRS complex is wide since ventricles activated via AP
= af with RVR (rapid ventricular response)
What are the possible complications of a fib?
Risk of atrial thrombus formation - most commons place for embolism is the brain –> ischemic stroke
When should you treat a fib with aspirin and when with warfarin or neither?
If CHADS score is 0 - treat with aspirin
If CHADS score is 1 - treat with aspirin or warfarin
If CHADS score is at least 2 - treat with warfarin