





Arrhythmia refers to irregular cardiac rhythm, i.e. abnormal cardiac rhythm. In other words, it means rhythm disturbances, irregular heartbeat. Arrhythmia can be abnormally fast (tachycardia) or abnormally slow (bradycardia). Arrhythmias may have an internal order or totally be irregular at normal, fast, or slow heart rate.
If bradycardia or tachycardia has an internal irregularity, both heartbeats and pulse are irregular in addition to the above symptoms.
Some arrhythmias can be simple and insignificant while some can be alarming and fatal. Can result in a sudden death.
Ones related to heart:
Other causes of arrhythmia unrelated to heart:
The patients with arrhythmia must be examined for
One of the causes of arrhythmia that should be investigated especially in young is that whether there are any cardiac abnormalities. Using any drugs, drug abuse, caffeinated or energy drinks, and stress should not be overlooked.
If you suspect this disease you should initially visit a cardiologist. After listening to your complaints, the doctor will auscultate your heart and check your pulse during examination to detect irregular heartbeats.
Then some tests are required, which starts with electrocardiography (ECG). ECG provides general information on the heart’s electrical system and arrhythmias. ECG can be totally normal or capture current arrhythmia. If ECG does not reveal any signs of arrhythmia, this is completely normal because the patient does not have arrhythmia, or because they have arrhythmia which was unable to capture at the time.
If arrhythmia is suspected despite ECG being normal, your doctor will ask you to carry the holter device for 24 hours to measure your cardiac rhythm. Since the holter device will be attached to your body for at least 24 hours, it is highly possible to detect any arrhythmias during this period and shows the course of current arrhythmias during daily life, and whether arrhythmias are associated with your symptoms. A 24-hour record is taken by 7 electrodes via 3 channels.
If 24-hour period is not enough to detect your arrhythmia, long-term holter devices, or event recorders, e.g. event-loop recorders, and transtelephonic ECG are used to record required cardiac rhythms.
Event Recorder; records the events for one month only when the button is pressed at the time of symptom
Loop Recorder; records constantly and automatically for 8 days via one channel and stores in loop memory.
Transtelephonic ECG; transmits the instant events as well as events in the memory for 1 day – 1 month via telephone.
It is a device which automatically records all events for 1 day to 1 month via 3 channels and events indicated at the time of symptom and stores in the loop memory. In the meantime it instantly transmits each event recorded via telephone through mail to the Center then to doctor’s office through mail again.
The patient with arrhythmia have the followings respectively:
AF is a very common irregular heartbeat causing atria to contract abnormally. The upper chambers (atria) are unable to contract regularly and remain vibrated. Nor the lower chambers function normally. The heart rate increases, and the pulse intensity is palpated. The heart might pump less blood. The most important and feared adverse effect is that it predisposes formation of clot in the heart, and that these clots come loose and travel to different locations of the body (especially to the brain), resulting in serious problems. Atrial fibrillation can be rarely seen in healthy individuals but the incidence increases in cases of followings:
Atrial Fibrillation: The waves in the ECG are irregular and the pulse is irregular too.
Atrial flutter: An arrhythmia caused by one or more fast circulations in atria. Atrial flutter is often more organized and more regular than atrial fibrillation. This type of arrhythmia mostly presents in those with a heart problem within one week after the operation. It usually turns into atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common clinical rhythm disturbance. Structural heart diseases, e.g. rheumatic heart disease, hypertension, cardiac failure, are important risk factors for development of atrial fibrillation.
In addition to symptoms reducing the quality of life, atrial fibrillation leads to complications such as systemic emboli, hemodynamic disturbance, and myopathy associated with tachycardia.
There are three ways to ensure sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation:
Both catheter ablation and surgery for AF (including all types of arrhythmias) are successfully performed at our Heart Center.
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Group Florence Nightingale Hospitals Ltd UK 2020, all rights reserved.
Group Florence Nightingale Hospitals Ltd UK 2020, all rights reserved.