User:Mr. Ibrahem/Arrhythmia
| Arrhythmia | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac dysrhythmia, irregular heartbeat, heart arrhythmia |
 | |
| Ventricular fibrillation (VF) showing disorganized electrical activity producing a spiked tracing on an electrocardiogram (ECG) | |
| Specialty | Cardiology |
| Symptoms | Palpitations, lightheadedness, passing out, shortness of breath, chest pain[1] |
| Complications | Stroke, heart failure[2][3] |
| Usual onset | Older age[4] |
| Types | Extra beats, supraventricular tachycardias, ventricular arrhythmias, bradyarrhythmias[3] |
| Causes | Problems with the electrical conduction system of the heart[2] |
| Diagnostic method | Electrocardiogram, Holter monitor[5] |
| Treatment | Medications, medical procedures (pacemaker), surgery[6] |
| Frequency | Millions[4] |
Arrhythmia, also known as cardiac arrhythmia or heart arrhythmia, is a group of conditions in which the heartbeat is irregular, too fast, or too slow.[2] The heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adults – is called tachycardia, and a heart rate that is too slow – below 60 beats per minute – is called bradycardia.[2] Some types of arrhythmias have no symptoms.[1] Symptoms when present may include palpitations or feeling a pause between heartbeats.[1] In more serious cases, there may be lightheadedness, passing out, shortness of breath or chest pain.[1] While most types of arrhythmia are not serious, some predispose a person to complications such as stroke or heart failure.[2][3] Others may result in sudden death.[3]
There are four main groups of arrhythmia: extra beats, supraventricular tachycardias, ventricular arrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias.[3] Extra beats include premature atrial contractions, premature ventricular contractions and premature junctional contractions.[3] Supraventricular tachycardias include atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.[3] Ventricular arrhythmias include ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.[3][7] Arrhythmias are due to problems with the electrical conduction system of the heart.[2] Arrhythmias may also occur in children, however, the normal range for the heart rate is different and depends on age.[3] A number of tests can help with diagnosis including an electrocardiogram (ECG) and Holter monitor.[5]
Most arrhythmias can be effectively treated.[2] Treatments may include medications, medical procedures such as inserting a pacemaker and surgery.[6] Medications for a fast heart rate may include beta blockers or agents that attempt to restore a normal heart rhythm such as procainamide.[6] This latter group may have more significant side effects, especially if taken for a long period of time.[6] Pacemakers are often used for slow heart rates.[6] Those with an irregular heartbeat are often treated with blood thinners to reduce the risk of complications.[6] Those who have severe symptoms from an arrhythmia may receive urgent treatment with a controlled electric shock in the form of cardioversion or defibrillation.[6]
Arrhythmia affects millions of people.[4] In Europe and North America, as of 2014, atrial fibrillation affects about 2% to 3% of the population.[8] Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter resulted in 112,000 deaths in 2013, up from 29,000 in 1990.[9] Sudden cardiac death is the cause of about half of deaths due to cardiovascular disease and about 15% of all deaths globally.[10] About 80% of sudden cardiac death is the result of ventricular arrhythmias.[10] Arrhythmias may occur at any age but are more common among older people.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "What Are the Signs and Symptoms of an Arrhythmia?". National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g "What Is Arrhythmia?". National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Types of Arrhythmia". National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Who Is at Risk for an Arrhythmia?". National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ^ a b "How Are Arrhythmias Diagnosed?". National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g "How Are Arrhythmias Treated?". National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ^ Martin, C; Matthews, G; Huang, CL (2012). "Sudden cardiac death and Inherited channelopathy: the basic electrophysiology of the myocyte and myocardium in ion channel disease". Heart. 98 (7): 536–543. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2011-300953. PMC 3308472. PMID 22422742.
- ^ Zoni-Berisso, M; Lercari, F; Carazza, T; Domenicucci, S (2014). "Epidemiology of atrial fibrillation: European perspective". Clinical Epidemiology. 6: 213–20. doi:10.2147/CLEP.S47385. PMC 4064952. PMID 24966695.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ GBD 2013 Mortality and Causes of Death, Collaborators (17 December 2014). "Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013". Lancet. 385 (9963): 117–171. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61682-2. PMC 4340604. PMID 25530442.
{{cite journal}}:|first1=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Mehra, R (2007). "Global public health problem of sudden cardiac death". Journal of Electrocardiology. 40 (6 Suppl): S118–22. doi:10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2007.06.023. PMID 17993308.