Approach to Palpitations Tom Wallace, MD Cardiac Electrophysiologist CHI St. Vincent Heart Clinic Arkansas
Approach to Palpitations Sinus pauses and heart block Sinus Tachycardia Atrial dysrhythmias Ventricular dysrhythmias
Sinus Tachycardia Secondary causes (Stressors) Fever / infection Volume depletion Hyperthyroidism Anemia Dieting
Sinus Tachycardia Inappropriate sinus tachycardia Not common Difficult to treat
Atrial beats that arise from areas of the atria not the sinus node
Ventricular beats right ventricle endocardium left ventricle epicardium apex outflow tract
Supraventricular Tachycardia Atrial Tachycardia Atrial Flutter Atrial Fibrillation Accessory Pathway Wolff Parksinson White Atrio-Ventricular Reentrant Tachycardia
Ventricular Tachycardia Structurally abnormal hearts Ischemic cardiomyopathy (scar mediated) Nonischemic cardiomyopathy Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular dysplasia Structurally normal hearts Outflow tract origin (right or left ventricle and Aorta) Long QT syndrome, catecholaminergic VT Short QT, Brugada Syndrome
Diagnostics 12 Lead ECG 24-48 Holter monitoring 30 day event monitoring Echocardiogram Exercise stress testing Electrophysiology Study
Treatments Address secondary causes Beta blocker or calcium channel blockers Antiarrhythmic medications Catheter ablation