Heart rhythm disorders, also called arrhythmias, cause the heart to beat abnormally due to irregularities in heart rate, rhythm, or electrical impulses. Arrhythmias can be caused by heart disease, genetic factors, infections, or other medical conditions. Common types include atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, bradycardia, and tachycardia. Diagnosis involves tests like electrocardiograms and treatment options range from medications and medical devices like pacemakers to ablation procedures. Complications can include heart failure, stroke, and death if not properly treated.

1. Heart Rhythm Disorder
|Arrhythmia.
A brief medical study
PREPARED BY | MARTIN SHAJI |PHARM D

2. Summary
• Introduction | definition
• Types of Arrhythmia
• Causes
• Risk factors
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Drugs
• Decvices
• Pacemaker
• Icd
• Ablation
• Prevention
• Complication
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Images
• References

3. Heart rhythm disorder is also called an arrhythmia.
A disorder in heart rhythm is characterized by abnormal variation in the
normal heartbeat.
Usually, the abnormalities occur in heart rate, regularity of beats, and
Sino atrial node (SA) where electrical impulses originate are collectively
causing arrhythmia.
Introduction | Definition

4. Types of Arrhythmia
*Atrial Fibrillation* –
The irregular flow of electrical impulse generated from atria throughout
the atria is characterized as atrial fibrillation.
*Ventricular Fibrillation* –
irregular contraction of ventricles of the heart creates a condition called
ventricular fibrillation.

5. *Bradycardia:*
It is characterized by slow heart rate.
*Tachycardia:*
It is characterized by fast heart rate.
*Conduction Disorder*–
During such disorder the heartbeat is not normal.
*Premature Contraction* –
A condition where the heart beats earlier than usual.

6. *Ventricular Heart Rhythm Disorders* –
Originates in the ventricles, usually requiring serious and urgent
medical care.
Supraventricular Heart
*Rhythm Disorders* –
Basically a tachycardia that is originating in the atria or AV node.
*Ventricular Fibrillation (V-Fib)* –
Extremely disordered electrical signals make the ventricles quiver or
fibrillate instead of contracting correctly

7. Causes
The rapid firing of electrical impulse from the SA node cells is disrupted due
to damage to the tissue of SA nodes
In certain conditions almost entire heart tissues can start an impulse that can
generate a heartbeat.
This activity can interrupt the normal order of the heart’s pumping activity
Some conditions that cause arrhythmia are as follows:
*.Infection or fever
*.Physical or emotional stress
*.Certain arrhythmias can genetically arrive in cases of Wolff-(.Parkinson-
White (WPW) syndrome
*.Cardiomyopathy
*.An abnormality in blood chemical levels

8. Risk factors
*.Certain heart disease can stand as a risk for developing an arrhythmia.
*.Coronary artery disease
*.Heart valve problems
*.Heart failure or disorders with heart conduction
*.High blood pressure

9. *.Other than heart diseases there are also some conditions can be a
risk factor:
*Anemia
*.Thyroid disease
*.Drugs and other stimulants, such as caffeine, tobacco, alcohol,
cocaine, and amphetamines

10. Symptoms
Arrhythmia can be silent and doesn’t cause symptoms. Sometimes might
find the arrhythmia before do while during the physical exam by
checking pulse rate or through an electrocardiogram (ECG).
Some of the symptoms may include:
*.Shortness of breath
*.Fainting
*.Dizziness
*.Chest pain

11. Sweating
*.Light-headedness
In extreme cases, collapse or sudden cardiac arrest
*.Fatigue
*.Rapid heartbeat or pounding
(.Palpitations (feeling of skipped heartbeats or feeling that heart is
running away.

12. Diagnosis
Tests used to diagnose an arrhythmia or determine its cause
include:
*.Electrocardiogram
*.Holter monitor
*.Event monitor
*.Stress test
(.Echocardiogram
*.Cardiac catheterization
Electrophysiology study (EPS)
*.Head-up tilt table test

13. Treatment
Many drugs are available for reducing the occurrence of arrhythmias or
managing symptoms. These include drugs to:
*.Slow the heartbeat (beta blockers and calcium channel blockers)
*.Keep the heart rhythm normal (antiarrhythmic drugs)
*.Help prevent blood clots (blood thinners, such as warfarin)
*.Implantable Devices
*.Some people with arrhythmias may need an implantable device to
help the heart work properly.

14. *.A pacemaker is a small device implanted near the heart. It is usually
used to treat bradycardia. The pacemaker monitors the electrical
activity of the heart and delivers a small electrical pulse when the
heart beats too slowly. For more information, see the Pacemaker
Implantation Patient Guide.
Indications of pacemaker
https://www.slideshare.net/martinshaji/indications-for-pacemaker-
implantation-medical-information-238584554

15. *.Chest with a Pacemaker
*.An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is similar to a pacemaker
but can deliver an electrical shock to restore normal heart rhythms when
needed. An ICD may be necessary for patients with more dangerous
arrhythmias that can stop the heartbeat, such as ventricular fibrillation.
For more information,
see the ICD Patient Guide.

16. Ablation
Some arrhythmias may need to be treated with a minimally invasive
technique called radio-frequency ablation. This procedure is
performed using a catheter threaded through a blood vessel to the
heart. An electrode is inserted through the catheter and used to heat
and destroy a small area of tissue. This can block abnormal electrical
signaling pathways in the heart

17. Prevention
*.To prevent heart arrhythmia, it’s important to live a heart-healthy
lifestyle to reduce your risk of heart disease. A heart-healthy lifestyle
may include:
*.Keeping a healthy weight
*.Eating a heart-healthy diet
*.Limiting or avoiding caffeine and alcohol
Increasing your physical activity
*.Avoiding smoking

18. *.Reducing stress, as intense stress and anger can cause heart
rhythm problems
*.Using over-the-counter medications with caution, as some
cold and cough medications contain stimulants that may trigger
a rapid heartbeat.

19. Complications
Arrhythmia can cause life-threatening complications such as follows:
Heart failure:
The long-term bradycardia and tachycardia can result in n a weakened
heart that cannot pump enough blood to the body and its organs.

20. Stroke:
When the heart chamber fibrillates, it means the heart is not pumping
blood effectively. This leads to the collection of blood in pools inside
the heart chamber. This pool may form clots. If the blood clot leaves
the heart and enters into the blood circulatory system and travel
throughout the body and it sticks to the narrowed or tapered artery in
the brain and thus it causes stroke and it ends with damage
Types of strokes in brief
https://www.slideshare.net/martinshaji/types-of-human-stroke-definition-in-
brief-medical-information