Ventricular Arrhythmias
Ventricular arrhythmias begin in the ventricles. Isolated premature beats may be benign in a structurally normal heart, while sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation can stop effective circulation.
Key takeaways
- Palpitations, dizziness, fainting, chest pain or cardiac arrest can occur, but an ECG or rhythm recording is needed to identify the rhythm.
- Heart disease, previous infarction, electrolytes, medicines and inherited electrical conditions influence risk and treatment.
- Antiarrhythmics can provoke dangerous rhythms themselves; selection requires cardiac assessment and ECG monitoring.
Catalogue matches do not diagnose a ventricular rhythm or provide a safe acute or preventive treatment plan.
Which ventricular rhythms are dangerous?
Risk depends on duration, symptoms, heart structure and whether circulation is maintained. Frequent premature beats also warrant review when accompanied by fainting, impaired heart function or a family history of sudden death.
How is treatment chosen?
Care may address ischaemia, electrolytes or a causative medicine and may use ablation or an implanted defibrillator. Sotalol and flecainide have narrow selected roles with important QT, structural-heart and kidney considerations.
When to seek urgent care
Call emergency services for sustained palpitations with fainting, chest pain, severe breathlessness, confusion or collapse. Begin resuscitation and use an available defibrillator for an unresponsive person who is not breathing normally.