Rapid Heart Rate
Rapid heart rate, called tachycardia, is a type of cardiac arrhythmia. An arrhythmia occurs when the electrical system of the heart is disrupted causing irregular heart rhythms. Irregular heart rhythms interrupt cardiac output and cardiac function and can cause serious health problems and health risks including a sudden drop in blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
Tachycardia, also called tachyarrhythmia, occurs when your heart rate rises above 100 beats per minute (bpm). Tachycardia can affect the atria (the top chambers of the heart), the ventricles (the bottom chambers of the heart) and the precisely coordinated rhythms between the atria and ventricles. Tachycardia is usually the result of underlying heart disease such as ischemia (coronary artery disease).
Atrial Flutter and Other Cardiac Tachycardia
Atrial flutter is a common atrial tachycardia. Atrial or supraventricular tachycardias occur in the atria, the top chambers of the heart. Irregular electrical impulses cause the atria to beat or flutter at a rate of 240 to 350 bpm. Even though the atria are beating very rapidly, not all of the impulses from the atria are transmitted through the AV node to the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart). This is called AV block and it causes the ventricles to beat at half the rate of fluttering atria, but still faster than normal. The rapid beating of the ventricles during atrial flutter distinguishes atrial flutter from atrial fibrillation.
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia causes the atria to beat at a slower rate than atrial flutter, usually between 140 to 200 bpm. Paroxysmal means this tachycardia begins and ends spontaneously. In some patients, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia may happen once and then stop as suddenly as it started never to recur. In others, this arrhythmia continues to recur without warning.
Ventricular tachycardia is triggered in the lower chambers of the heart and is extremely serious. The ventricular rate can go as high as 150 to 250 bpm causing the heart to deteriorate rapidly. Ventricular tachycardia can often occur after a heart attack and can be fatal.
Contact Western Cardiovascular Associates online or call us at 801-743-4750 today to find out about your surgical treatment options for rapid heart rate.