The Possibly Detrimental Effects of Cardiac Arrhythmia

Early doctors were researching arrhythmia in heart beat as a result of unknown abnormal neuro-cardio mechanisms of the heart, one of theories was that SA and AV nodes were interfering with each other’s bio-electrical impulses another theory was that the right side of the septum was hypersensitive to electrical impulse, all were more else on the right track because we know now that SVT is a result of a faulty electrical connections of the heart.

Arrhythmias are irregular rhythms of the heartbeat which can be fast paced or slow paced.

Most physicians and people who acquired the problem usually know it as A-FIB, a shorter term for atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation deals with the cardiovascular system, in particular, the heart in the body. It is defined as, “the electrical signals that control this system are off-kilter. Instead of working together the atria do their own thing, causing fast fluttering heartbeat, also known as arrhythmia” (WEBMD). In a normal pumping blood of the heart the atria would squeeze first, followed by the ventricles of the heart. A-fib can be a serious issue if not treated, due to the inadequate pumping of the blood, causing a higher chance of heart failure. It is also a higher chance in getting a stroke, because improper flow of the blood can cause clots in the

Tachycardia: Tachycardia typically refers to a heart rate that exceeds the normal range for a resting heart rate. When the heart beats rapidly, the heart pumps less efficiently and provides less blood flow to the body and the heart. The rapid heartbeat increases the workload and oxygen demand of the heart. Problems will occur with the heart as tachycardia persists over time. The heart is maintaining less oxygen, which will lead to an MI due to death of the myocardial cells. Patient will start to have angina because of this. Tachycardia is noted in many diseases and disorder like: fever endocarditis, anemia, HTN, pericarditis, abnormal heart impulses, anxiety, older age, sleep apnea, COPD, electrolyte imbalances, and many more.

The four chambers of the heart normally beat regularly, with the two uppermost chambers beating first, followed by the lower two chambers. The beats begins with the signal from an electrical impulse in the right atrium. During afib heart disease, the impulses don't travel through the heart in a regular fashion. Impulses fire rapidly, sometimes as fast as 300 to 600 beats per minute. The atrioventricular node limits these pulses, resulting in an afib heart rate that is 150 beats per minute or less.

Cardiac dysrhythmias come in different degrees of severity. There are heart conditions that you are able to live with and manage on a daily basis and those that require immediate attention. Atrial Fibrillation is one of the more frequently seen types of dysrhythmias (NIH, 2011). The best way to diagnosis a heart condition is by reading a cardiac strip (Ignatavicius &Workman, 2013). Cardiac strips play an chief part in the nursing world allowing the nurse and other trained medical professionals to interpret what the heart is doing. In a normal strip, one can clearly identify a P wave before every QRS complex, which is then followed by a T wave; in Atrial Fibrillation, the Sinoatrial node fires irregularly causing there to be no clear P

In the normal conduction of the heart the electrical impulse starts in the SA node, also called the pacemaker of the heart. The electrical impulse travels through the right atrium and through the Bachmann’s bundle into the left atrium. This stimulates the atria to contract. Next the signal travel to the AV node. The AV node slightly delays the signal. This delay is needed for the heart to beat properly. Without this delay the atria and ventricles would beat at the same time. The electrical signal then travels to the Bundle of His where it is split into the signals going to the right and left ventricle. The signal

In a healthy heart, the sinoatrial node sends an electrical impulse through the atria to contract and pump blood into the ventricles. During atrial fibrillation the normal function of the heart is disrupted. It starts with a chaotic electrical discharge in the atria of the heart, which then causes an irregular, rapid atrial contraction – which leads to rapid ventricular conduction in the AV node. Diseases that damage the heart or abnormalities of the heart’s structure are the most common cause of atrial fibrillation.

The heart is controlled by an electrical system of the heart. This electrical system (Figure 1.1) of the heart includes several functions which hold the contraction of the heart muscles. The SA node starts the heartbeat by contracting the upper two chambers of the heart known as atria. This electrical impulse travels through bundle bunches and Purkinje fibers. This pathway of electrical impulse contracts the lower chamber of the heart called as ventricles. From

Brady Arrhythmias is any disruption of cardiac rhythm resulting in 60 heartbeats per minute or less. However, it should be noted that 60 BPM is normal heart rate for young adults and athletes. There are multiple possible causes including heart tissue damage, hypothyroidism and inflammatory diseases: Risk for Brady Arrhythmia increases due to age, smoking and high blood pressure. Effects include fainting or feeling faint, fatigue and chest pains. Treatment depends on the severity of symptoms ranging from medications to implanting a pacemaker to monitor heart rate and generate electrical impulses to stimulate a proper heartrate.

The wave spreads through the atria before reaching the atrioventricular node, or AV node, located just above the right ventricle. The AV node focuses the wave into the ventricles, contracting the ventricles. Should the SA node fail, the AV node can take over as the primary pacemaker at a rate of forty to sixty beats per minute.

The S-A node signal is delayed by the atrioventricular node to allow the full contraction of the atria that allows the ventricles to reach their maximum volume. A sweeping right to left wave of ventricular contraction then pumps blood into the pulmonary and systemic circulatory systems. The semilunar valves that separate the right ventricle from the pulmonary artery and the left ventricle from the aorta open shortly after the ventricles begin to contract. The opening of the semilunar valves ends a brief period of isometric (constant volume) ventricular contraction and initiates a period of rapid ventricular ejection.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) (1) is an inherited disease characterized by the progressive replacement of the myocardium by adipose and fibrous tissue (2) that predisposes to the development of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and to sudden cardiac death (SCD). This condition was described three decades ago, when fibro-fatty infiltration in the right ventricle was considered its pivotal indicator (3,4). It later became clear that the ARVC is mainly caused by mutations in the genes encoding for desmosomal proteins (1). This helped unveil that the disorder is often associated with biventricular manifestations (5) and the term "arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy" has also been proposed (1). The unmet need in the management

This allows your cardiovascular centres in your brain a little bit more latitude as far as controlling your heart rate. If you were to remove a beating heart from someone's body you would find that the heart is no longer being suppressed by the parasympathetic nervous system and it will accelerate to the same pace as the sinoatrial node. The SA node generates action potentials approximately 100 times per minute due to the physiology of the heart, its own permeability to sodium and calcium via its channels, and a host of other things. Anywhere between 80 to 100 beats per minute is normal for the SA node.

The heart is one of the most important organs in an organism’s body, no matter if they are aquatic, amphibian, or a mammal. This super organ works automatically, able to pump massive amounts of oxygen rich blood through the body by means of electrical impulses and the opening and closing of valves within its many layers. It is what keeps us and every other creature on this earth alive; so it is only natural for one to fear when there might be a problem with one’s heart. A cardiac arrhythmia can happen to anyone, no matter the age, race, or gender, and as such, doctors and scientist have spent years trying to better understand the heart and the way it functions so that they can try to prevent these problems and save millions of lives.