Arrhythmias

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Heart, section through the middle

Heart, front view

Atrioventricular block, EKG tracing

Normal heart rhythm

Bradycardia

Ventricular tachycardia

Conduction system of the heart

Arrhythmias

Alternative Names:

Dysrhythmias; Abnormal heart rhythms
Symptoms:

Fast or slow heart beat (palpitations)
Skipping beats
Fainting
Light-headedness, dizziness
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Changes in the rate, rhythm, or pattern of the pulse
Paleness
Sweating

The person may not have symptoms. The first symptom may be sudden cardiac arrest (loss of heartbeat), which requires CPR.

Signs and tests:

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A doctor will listen to your heart with a stethoscope and feel your pulse. Your blood pressure may be low or normal.

Tests that reveal arrhythmias and identify the type of arrhythmia include:

ECG
Ambulatory cardiac monitoring (for example, a Holter monitor, used for 24 hours, or loop recorders that may be worn for 2 weeks or longer)
Echocardiogram
Electrophysiology study (EPS)
Coronary angiography

Various tests are appropriate to confirm or rule out suspected causes of the arrhythmia. EPS testing may be performed to locate the origin of the arrhythmia and determine the best treatment, especially if a pacemaker implantation or catheter ablation procedure is being considered.