Dr Jeffrey Kalei

Sinus tachycardia is HR > 100 bpm with a normal sinus rhythm. Patients are usually asymptomatic, and it is inconsequential. Sinus tachycardia is prevented in patients with coronary artery disease by using beta-blockers.

Supraventricular tachycardia includes arrhythmias that originate from supraventricular tissue or involve supraventricular tissue through a reentrant circuit. Definition of terms Term Definition Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) A sudden, intermittent episode of SVT. It may be self-limited – lasting minutes to…

Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is caused by a congenital accessory conducting pathway between the atria and ventricles (bundle of Kent), which leads to an atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia (AVRT). It can degenerate rapidly into ventricular fibrillation since the accessory pathway does not…

Ventricular tachycardia is caused by a re-entrant circuit that is limited to the ventricles. This is a medical emergency since it can degenerate into ventricular fibrillation. Classification Classification Description Monomorphic ventricular tachycardia Uniform QRS complexes – usually due to reentry…

Torsades de pointes is a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia with a characteristic “twisting” (oscillating QRS amplitude). It is commonly caused by hypomagnesemia.

Tachyarrhythmias are arrhythmias with HR > 100 bpm. Symptoms occur because the heart beats too fast to allow it to fill during diastole. Narrow QRS Complex Tachyarrhythmias Arrhythmia EKG First-line treatment (stable) Sinus tachycardia Sinus rhythm with bradycardia Non necessary…

Bundle branch blocks (BBB) Bundle branch blocks are characterized by an interruption in ventricular conduction at the bundle of His, usually due to ischemia. The ventricles do not depolarize at the same time. RBBB affects the right ventricle while LBBB…

Sinus bradycardia is a heart rate of < 60 bpm, with a normal sinus rhythm

An atrioventricular (AV) nodal block is a conduction disorder that is characterized by an interruption between the sinoatrial node and atrioventricular node (PR interval), resulting in an elongation of the PR interval (> 0.2 sec). It is congenital in some…

Bradyarrhythmias are characterized by a heart rate of < 60 bpm