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Palpitations - Coggle Diagram
Palpitations
Assessment
Checking for symptoms suggestive of a serious cause or complication, such as breathlessness, chest pain, syncope or near syncope.
Checking for a history of ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, or valve disease, which could predispose to a serious arrhythmia.
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Checking the person’s heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, and identifying any heart murmurs or lung crepitations.
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In Primary Care
Assessment should be carried out for an underlying cause and management initiated accordingly.
Referral to cardiology should be arranged, if appropriate.
Definition
An abnormally perceived heartbeat that can include a feeling of the heart racing, an irregularity, or an unusual pounding sensation.
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Emergency
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Persistent SVT — if trained and competent to do so, an attempt can be made to terminate the SVT before admission using the Valsalva manoeuvre or carotid sinus massage.
Symptoms of breathlessness, chest pain, or syncope or near syncope.
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Refer
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Symptoms suggestive of a serious cause or complication, such as breathlessness, chest pain, syncope or near syncope.
Risk factors for a serious arrhythmia, such as family history of sudden cardiac death or evidence of structural heart disease.
A major ECG abnormality, such as signs of pre-excitation or a previous myocardial infarction.
Cause unclear?
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Referral may be necessary if no underlying cause can be identified especially if palpitations are recurrent.