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Common
types of arrhythmias
An arrhythmia (also called dysrhythmia
or irregular heart rhythm) is an irregular or abnormal heartbeat. These
are the common types of arrhythmias:
Supraventricular
arrhythmias
- These are
arrhythmias that begin above the ventricles.
- "Supra" means
above and "ventricular" refers to the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles).
Premature atrial contractions (PACs)
Early extra beats
that originate in the atrial (upper chamber of the heart)
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT)
A rapid, usually
regular rhythm, originating from above the ventricles. PSVT begins and
ends suddenly.
Accessory pathway tachycardias (bypass tract
tachycardias)
A rapid heart rhythm
due to an extra abnormal pathway or connection between the atria and the
ventricles. The impulses travel through the extra pathways (short cuts)
as well as the normal AV-HIS Purkinje system. This allows the impulses to
travel around the heart very quickly, causing the heart to beat unusually
fast (example: Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome).
AV nodal reentrant
tachycardia (AVNRT)
A rapid heart
rate due to more than one pathway through the AV node.
Atrial
tachycardia
A
rapid heart rhythm originating in the atria.
Atrial
fibrillation
A very common irregular
heart rhythm. Many impulses begin and spread through the atria, competing
for a chance to travel through the AV node.
The resulting rhythm
is disorganized, rapid, and irregular. Because the impulses are traveling
through the atria in a disorderly fashion, it results in loss of coordinated
atrial contraction
Atrial
flutter
An atrial arrhythmia
caused by one or more rapid circuits in the atrium. Atrial flutter is
usually more organized and regular than atrial fibrillation.
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 Ventricular
arrhythmias
These are arrhythmias that begin in
the lower chambers of the heart.
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Premature
ventricular contractions (PVCs)
PVCs are early
extra beats beginning in the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). PVCs
are common. Most of the time they cause no symptoms and require no treatment.
In some people, PVCs can be related to stress, too much caffeine or nicotine,
or exercise. But sometimes, PVCs can be caused by heart disease or electrolyte
imbalance. People who have a lot of PVCs, and/or symptoms associated with
them, should be evaluated by a heart doctor.
Ventricular
tachycardia (V-tach)
A rapid rhythm
originating from the lower chambers of the heart. The rapid rate prevents
the heart from filling adequately with blood, and less blood is able to
pump through the body. This can be a more serious arrhythmia, especially
in people with heart disease, and may be associated with more symptoms.
A heart doctor should evaluate this arrhythmia.
Ventricular
fibrillation
An erratic, disorganized
firing of impulses from the ventricles. The ventricles quiver and are unable
to contract or pump blood to the body. This is a medical emergency that
must be treated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation
as soon as possible. (Click here to learn more about
sudden cardiac death)
Long
QT Syndrome
The QT interval is
the area on the electrocardiogram (EKG) which represents the time it takes
for the heart muscle to contract and then recover, or the electrical impulse
to fire impulses and then recharge. When the QT interval is longer than
normal, it increases the risk for torsade de pointes, a life-threatening
form of ventricular tachycardia. (click
here for more information about Long QT Syndrome)
Bradyarrhythmias
These are slow heart
rhythms, which may arise from disease in the heart’s conduction system
(such as SA node, AV node or HIS-Purkinje system).
Sinus
node dysfunction
A slow heart rhythm
due to an abnormal SA (sinus) node.
Heart
block
A delay or complete
block of the electrical impulse as it travels from the sinus node to the
ventricles. The level of the block or delay may occur in the AV node or
HIS-Purkinje system. The heart may beat irregularly and, often, more slowly.
Click
here to find a Cleveland Clinic Heart Center Cardiologist who treats abnormal
heart rhythms
Click here to learn
more about management of arrhythmias
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