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Illustrated Health Encyclopedia
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Ency. home > Disease > A > Arrhythmias

Arrhythmias    See images

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Dysrhythmias; Abnormal heart rhythms

Treatment

Medications may include anti-arrhythmic medications, medications to speed up or slow down the heart rate, and others.

Treatment may include electrical "shock" (defibrillation or cardioversion).

Prognosis

The outcome is dependent on several factors:

  1. The kind of arrythmia -- whether it is simply an atrial arrythmia (originating from the atrium) or a more potentially lethal arrythmia, such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.
  2. The "ejection fraction" of the heart, or the overall pumping ability of the heart.
  3. A person's differing response to the same arrhythmia.

When an arrythmia is serious and not well-tolerated by the person, there may not be enough blood flowfrom the heart to vital organs such as the brain, the kidneys, and to the heart itself.

Complications

Call Your Health Care Provider If:

Call your health care provider if symptoms indicate an arrhythmia may be present.

Call your health care provider if an arrhythmia has been diagnosed and symptoms worsen or do not improve with treatment.

Ency. home > Disease > A > Arrhythmias

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