Atrial flutter - an arrhythmia caused by one or more rapid circuits in the atrium.Atrial fibrillation - a condition in which many impulses begin and spread through the atria, competing for a chance to travel through the AV node.AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) - a rapid heart rate due to more than one pathway through the AV node.Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) - a rapid, usu- ally regular rhythm, starting from above the ventri- cles (SVT begins and ends suddenly).Premature atrial contractions (PACs) - early beats that start in the atria.There are many types of arrhythmias, which can be grouped into three general categories: supraventricular (atrial) arrhythmias, ventricular arrhythmias, and bradyarrhythmias. When something interrupts the circuit, the heartbeat can become irregular, and an arrhythmia occurs. When the circuit is working properly, the heart beats at a regular, smooth pace. From there, the electric current moves on to another pathway called the bundle of His, where the signal branches out to stimulate the right and left ventricles, causing them to contract and send blood to the lungs and the rest of the body. The current continues through its circuit to another group of cells called the atrioventricular node (AV node), which is between the atria and the ventricles. From there, the signal travels through special pathways to stimulate the right and left atria, causing them to contract and send blood into the ventricles (the bottom chambers of the heart). The signal begins in a group of cells in the right atrium (the upper right chamber of the heart) called the sinoatrial node (SA node). With each heartbeat, an electrical signal is generated and travels from the top of the heart to the bottom. The pumping action of the heart is powered by an electrical pathway that runs through the nerves in the walls of the heart. The effects on the body are often the same, whether the heartbeat is too fast, too slow, or too irregular. In any of these situations, the heart may not be able to pump an adequate amount of blood to the body with each beat due to the arrhythmia’s effects on the heart rate. Not allowing a sufficient amount of blood to be pumped out to the body, because an abnormal electrical signal is causing the heart to pump too slowly or too irregularly.Not allowing the ventricles (lower chambers) to fill with an adequate amount of blood, because an abnormal electrical signal is causing the heart to pump too fast.An arrhythmia (also called dysrhythmia) is an abnormal rhythm of the heart, which can cause the heart to pump less effectively.Īrrhythmias can cause problems with contractions of the heart chambers by:
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