Tachycardia: Difference between revisions
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# Sinus tachycardia; where the natural pacemaker in the heart sends electrical signals faster than normal. This can be in response to a stressor, or it can be a sign of eg anaemia, problems with the thyroid gland or general ill health<ref>Health direct Tachycardia Available:https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/tachycardia (accessed 30.3.2022)</ref>. | # Sinus tachycardia; where the natural pacemaker in the heart sends electrical signals faster than normal. This can be in response to a stressor, or it can be a sign of eg anaemia, problems with the thyroid gland or general ill health<ref>Health direct Tachycardia Available:https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/tachycardia (accessed 30.3.2022)</ref>. | ||
== | == Etiologies == | ||
Tachycardia can have physiological or pathological causes. Physiologically it is commonly associated with catecholaminergic triggers,eg exercise, stress, pain, and anxiety. Pathologically, there are cardiac and non-cardiac etiologies, see below | |||
== Cardiac Etiologies == | |||
Include: | |||
* Supraventricular, see above. | |||
* Ventricular tachycardia | |||
* [[Acute Coronary Syndrome|Acute coronary syndrome]] | |||
* Torsades de pointes | |||
* Myocarditis is an inflammatory process involving cardiac myocytes that is generally secondary to a viral infection. | |||
* Cardiac tamponade is a collection of symptoms (traditionally hypotension, jugular venous distention, muffled heart sounds, pulses paradoxus, and interventricular septum bowing during inspiration) secondary to increased pressure in the pericardial space | |||
== Resources == | == Resources == | ||
Revision as of 06:08, 30 March 2022
Original Editor - Lucinda hampton
Top Contributors - Lucinda hampton and Tolulope Adeniji
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Sinus tachycardia is a regular cardiac rhythm in which the heart beats faster than normal. While it is common to have tachycardia as a physiological response to exercise or stress, it causes concern when it occurs at rest. The normal resting heart rate for adults is between 60 and 100, which varies based on the level of fitness or the presence of medical comorbidities. Sometimes tachycardia signifies a health problem and could be the earliest sign of serious pathology. Thus, it is crucial to rapidly identify the underlying cause of tachycardia and determine if it indicates urgent evaluation and/or treatment. Arrhythmias are one of the main risk factors for stroke[1].
Types of tachycardia[edit | edit source]
There are 3 types of tachycardia.
- Supraventricular (above the ventricle): where problems with the electrical signals in the atria of the heart cause the heart to beat faster, reducing blood flow to the rest of the body as the heart can't pump blood as effectively. eg atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation.
- Ventricular: where the electrical signals in the ventricles of the heart cause the heart to beat faster affecting its ability to pump blood to the rest of the body.
- Sinus tachycardia; where the natural pacemaker in the heart sends electrical signals faster than normal. This can be in response to a stressor, or it can be a sign of eg anaemia, problems with the thyroid gland or general ill health[2].
Etiologies[edit | edit source]
Tachycardia can have physiological or pathological causes. Physiologically it is commonly associated with catecholaminergic triggers,eg exercise, stress, pain, and anxiety. Pathologically, there are cardiac and non-cardiac etiologies, see below
Cardiac Etiologies[edit | edit source]
Include:
- Supraventricular, see above.
- Ventricular tachycardia
- Acute coronary syndrome
- Torsades de pointes
- Myocarditis is an inflammatory process involving cardiac myocytes that is generally secondary to a viral infection.
- Cardiac tamponade is a collection of symptoms (traditionally hypotension, jugular venous distention, muffled heart sounds, pulses paradoxus, and interventricular septum bowing during inspiration) secondary to increased pressure in the pericardial space
Resources[edit | edit source]
- bulleted list
- x
or
- numbered list
- x
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Henning A, Krawiec C. Sinus tachycardia. InStatPearls [Internet] 2021 Aug 11. StatPearls Publishing.Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553128/(accessed 30.2.2022)
- ↑ Health direct Tachycardia Available:https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/tachycardia (accessed 30.3.2022)
