Cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)

Examples of Cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) in the following topics:

• Arrhythmia

  • Cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) are a heterogeneous group of conditions involving abnormal electrical activity in the heart.
  • Cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) is any of a large and heterogeneous group of conditions in which there is abnormal electrical activity in the heart.
  • The heartbeat may be too fast or too slow, and may be regular or irregular.
  • Some arrhythmias are life-threatening medical emergencies that can result in cardiac arrest.
  • In atrial fibrillation, one form of cardiac arrhythmia, the P waves, which represent depolarization of the atria, are absent.

• Cardiac Cycle

  • The cardiac cycle describes the phases of contraction and relaxation of the heart that drive blood flow throughout the body.
  • Heart rate is a term used to describe the frequency of the cardiac cycle.
  • Usually it is calculated as the number of contractions (heartbeats) of the heart in one minute and expressed as "beats per minute" (bpm).
  • In these cases (as happens in some arrhythmias), there will be little pressure change and no corresponding change in pulse and the heart rate may be considerably higher than the measured pulse.
  • Blood pressure is a regulated variable that is directly related to blood volume, based on cardiac output during the cardiac cycle.