Question

A 22 y/o male presents to the ER complaining of feeling chilled, dizzy and nauseated. He also states he is having a “weird, wiggly” feeling in his chest and believes he is having a heart attack. ECG analysis indicates periods of rapid heart rate (160 bpm) with a normal qrs wave with intervals of normal heart rate. Questioning of the patient reveals he has been highly stressed due to working on final exams. He states he is not on medication, but his diet has consisted of fast food and large quantities of coffee.

A Lead II ECG trace of this Px is shown below:

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What is causing this arrhythmia and discuss the cellular mechanism causing this pathology?

Answer 1

The most common type of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, which causes an irregular and fast heart beat. Many factors can affect your heart's rhythm, such as having had a heart attack, smoking, congenital heart defects, and stress. Some substances or medicines may also cause arrhythmias.

Arrhythmias occur when the electrical signals to the heart that coordinate heartbeats are not working properly. For instance, some people experience irregular heartbeats, which may feel like a racing heart or fluttering.

Many heart arrhythmias are harmless; however, if they are particularly abnormal, or result from a weak or damaged heart, arrhythmias can cause serious and even potentially fatal symptoms.

The 3 main mechanisms responsible for cardiac arrhythmias are automaticity, triggered activity, and reentry.