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ARRHYTHMIAS - Coggle Diagram
ARRHYTHMIAS
Definition
irregularities in the heart's rhythm, resulting from abnormal electrical activity in the heart. These disturbances can cause the heart to beat too quickly (tachycardia), too slowly (bradycardia), or in an irregular pattern.
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Pathophysiology
Triggered Activity: Abnormal after-depolarizations (early or delayed) during or after repolarization can generate extra heartbeats, potentially causing arrhythmias like torsades de pointes.
Reentry Circuits: Electrical impulses get trapped in a looping circuit within the heart, repeatedly activating heart tissue. Reentry is a common cause of arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
Enhanced Automaticity: Abnormal spontaneous electrical activity in pacemaker cells or non-pacemaker cells leads to uncoordinated impulses. This can result from conditions like ischemia, electrolyte imbalances, or drug effects.
Conduction Block: Delayed or interrupted electrical conduction due to damaged or scarred heart tissue can lead to bradyarrhythmias or predispose to reentry arrhythmias.
Structural or Functional Changes: Conditions like myocardial infarction, heart failure, or hypertrophy alter the heart's structure and electrical pathways, increasing arrhythmia risk.
Examination
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signs of heart failure (peripheral edema, jugular venous distention, pulmonary rales)
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Treatment
Rate control drugs (Beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, or digoxin)
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Antiarrhythmic drugs (Classes I, II, III, IV)
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Investigations
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electrolytes (eg. calcium, potassium)
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