Essays on Arrhythmias

Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most encountered cardiac rhythm disorder in clinical practice. It affects <1% of persons aged <60 years. This prevalence increases to 10% in persons aged >80 years (Amerena, Walters, Mirzaee and Kalman, 2013). Atrial fibrillation is a key differential diagnosis in patients presenting with chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, light-headedness, and syncope (Cruickshank, 2008). This paper will examine the differential diagnosis, pathophysiology, and paramedic implications of atrial fibrillation in relation to the case of a 43-year old male who presents with features and ECG findings of atrial fibrillation. It will first examine ...

The blood requires a balance between alkaline as well as acid components to function appropriately. Such a balance is referred as acid-base balance. The lungs, as well as kidneys, function to maintain such balance. Whatever variation causes acid-base imbalance. High levels of acid are referred as acidosis, and high alkaline is referred as alkalosis. Metabolic acidosis, as well as alkalosis, results from kidneys problem. Respiratory alkalosis and acidosis occur because of lungs' problem (Schrier 162). The levels or concentrations of acid or alkaline are determined on a scale of pH. Acidity makes pH levels fall, and alkaline condition makes ...

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Heart is one of the most important part of the body. It performs many vital functions that are essential for life. Without the functioning of heart there is no life. Heart is also considered as the pumping organ of the body. The main function of heart is to pump the blood throughout the body ("The Heart (Human Anatomy): Picture, Definition, Location In The Body, And Heart Problems"). Inside the body blood is considered as the most important mean of transport of oxygen ...

Introduction

Heart valve surgery is used for the repairing or replacement of valves of the heart that are diseased. The patients receive general anesthesia in this type of surgery whereby the surgeon makes a large surgical incision in the breastbone. The incision is meant to enable the surgeon to reach the aorta and the heart (Kato Paragraph 2). The relevance of stroke to the procedure of open-chest valve surgery is that it is one of the risks associated with cardiac surgery. Other risks include death, failure of the kidneys, cardiac arrest, irregular beats of the heart, and post-pericardiotomy syndrome (Kato ...

Monomorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

Cardiac arrhythmias often require immediate medical care that may include resuscitation (Ray, 2004). The diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias can be challenging particularly in situations whereby the patient is asymptomatic and ECG findings are normal between symptomatic episodes (Cruickshank, 2008). Distinguishing between supraventricular and ventricular tachycardia is also a challenge (Australian Resuscitation Council, 2008). Cardiac arrhythmia should be suspected in patients with a history of syncope, near syncope, palpitations, and/or chest pain (Cruickshank, 2008). This paper will justify why monomophic ventricular tachycardia is the most likely diagnosis of a male patient who collapsed abruptly and has hypotension (BP 63/38), tachycardia ( ...