Heart: What are premature ventricular contractions?
Premature ventricular contractions, are premature heartbeats that originate from the ventricles of the heart
Premature ventricular contractions are so called because they occur before the regular heartbeat
The right ventricle supplies blood to the lungs, while the left ventricle supplies blood to the rest of the body; the heartbeat, pulse, that we hear is caused by the contraction of the ventricles.
The beating of the heart muscle is controlled by the heart’s electrical system consisting of the atrial sinus node, the ventricular atrium node and special tissues in the ventricles that conduct electricity.
The atrial sinus node is the heart’s electrical pacemaker and will keep the heart beating steadily; at rest, the frequency of electrical discharges from the atrial sinus node is low and the heart will have about 60 to 80 beats per minute.
The frequency of the discharges from the atrial sinus node will increase during exercise and consequently the beats of the heart muscle will also increase.
The electrical discharges pass from the atrial sinus node through the special conduction tissues of the atria into the atrio ventricular node and through the latter to the special conduction tissues of the ventricles, allowing them to contract.
THE RADIO OF RESCUERS AROUND THE WORLD? IT’S RADIOEMS: VISIT ITS BOOTH AT EMERGENCY EXPO
What happens during premature ventricular contractions?
During premature ventricular contractions, electrical discharges from the ventricle occur prematurely.
This is due to the susceptibility of the ventricles of the heart muscle, which can be caused by lack of oxygen or medication.
Following a premature ventricular contraction, the heart’s electrical system resets.
This reset causes a brief pause in the heartbeat and some patients report feeling their heart stop briefly after a premature ventricular contraction.
Premature ventricular contractions are common, and often asymptomatic. They are more common among patients: elderly, with high blood pressure, with heart disease.
Premature ventricular contractions may also occur in young healthy individuals without heart disease or high blood pressure.
Causes that trigger premature ventricular contractions include: heart attack; hypertension; cardiomyopathy; heart valve disease.
Symptoms of premature ventricular contractions
Patients with premature ventricular contractions may report the sensation that the heart has stopped briefly.
This occurs because there is usually a short pause in the heartbeat after a premature ventricular contraction when the heart’s electrical system resets.
In addition, the premature beat may not be felt because the heart has not had time to fill with blood before beating.
Patients with frequent premature ventricular contractions often have no symptoms, but may experience weakness, dizziness or fainting.
This is because premature ventricular contractions can decrease the heart’s ability to pump blood to other organs, resulting in low blood pressure.
While premature ventricular contractions in healthy individuals will not pose a health risk, in patients with heart disease they may be associated with an increased risk of ventricular tachycardia.
Ventricular tachycardia may be life-threatening as it occurs without warning and develops into ventricular fibrillation; the latter will not allow the heart to pump blood to the brain and the rest of the body.
If left untreated, it could be fatal.
Diagnosis
Premature ventricular contractions are diagnosed by blood tests, electrocardiogram, Holter, cardiac stress tests.
Holter monitoring may not detect premature ventricular contractions if they do not occur at the time of monitoring.
Treatment of premature ventricular contractions is aimed at relieving the symptoms of palpitation and preventing ventricular tachycardia, which can lead to sudden death.
In healthy individuals without heart disease, premature ventricular contractions will not require any treatment.
Read Also
Emergency Live Even More…Live: Download The New Free App Of Your Newspaper For IOS And Android
Life Saving Procedures, Basic Life Support: What Is BLS Certification?
Life-Saving Techniques And Procedures: PALS VS ACLS, What Are The Significant Differences?
Congenital Heart Diseases: The Myocardial Bridge
Heart Rate Alterations: Bradycardia
Mitral Valve Narrowing Of The Heart: Mitral Stenosis
What Are The Symptoms Of Heart Failure?
Heart Attack, What You Need To Know
Patent Ductus Arteriosus: What It Is And What It Causes
Cardiomyopathy: Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment
Heart Rate Disorders: Bradyarrhythmia
What Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Is And How It Is Treated
Bradyarrhythmias: What They Are, How To Diagnose Them And How To Treat Them
Heart, Bradycardia: What It Is, What It Involves And How To Treat It
What Is Bradycardia And How To Treat It
Interventricular Septal Defect: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, And Treatment
Supraventricular Tachycardia: Definition, Diagnosis, Treatment, And Prognosis
Ventricular Aneurysm: How To Recognise It?
Atrial Fibrillation: Classification, Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
EMS: Pediatric SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia) Vs Sinus Tachycardia
Atrioventricular (AV) Block: The Different Types And Patient Management
Pathologies Of The Left Ventricle: Dilated Cardiomyopathy
A Successful CPR Saves On A Patient With Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation
Atrial Fibrillation: Symptoms To Watch Out For
Atrial Fibrillation: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
Difference Between Spontaneous, Electrical And Pharmacological Cardioversion
‘D’ For Deads, ‘C’ For Cardioversion! – Defibrillation And Fibrillation In Paediatric Patients
Inflammations Of The Heart: What Are The Causes Of Pericarditis?
Do You Have Episodes Of Sudden Tachycardia? You May Suffer From Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW)
Knowing Thrombosis To Intervene On The Blood Clot
Patient Procedures: What Is External Electrical Cardioversion?
Increasing The Workforce Of EMS, Training Laypeople In Using AED
Heart Attack: Characteristics, Causes And Treatment Of Myocardial Infarction
Altered Heart Rate: Palpitations
Heart: What Is A Heart Attack And How Do We Intervene?
Do You Have Heart Palpitations? Here Is What They Are And What They Indicate
Palpitations: What Causes Them And What To Do
Cardiac Arrest: What It Is, What The Symptoms Are And How To Intervene
Electrocardiogram (ECG): What It Is For, When It Is Needed
What Are The Risks Of WPW (Wolff-Parkinson-White) Syndrome
Heart Failure: Symptoms And Possible Treatments
What Is Heart Failure And How Can It Be Recognised?
Inflammations Of The Heart: Myocarditis, Infective Endocarditis And Pericarditis
Quickly Finding – And Treating – The Cause Of A Stroke May Prevent More: New Guidelines
Atrial Fibrillation: Symptoms To Watch Out For
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome: What It Is And How To Treat It
Do You Have Episodes Of Sudden Tachycardia? You May Suffer From Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW)
What Is Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (Broken Heart Syndrome)?
Heart Disease: What Is Cardiomyopathy?
Inflammations Of The Heart: Myocarditis, Infective Endocarditis And Pericarditis
Heart Murmurs: What It Is And When To Be Concerned
Broken Heart Syndrome Is On The Rise: We Know Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy
Heart Attack, Some Information For Citizens: What Is The Difference With Cardiac Arrest?
Heart Attack, Prediction And Prevention Thanks To Retinal Vessels And Artificial Intelligence
Full Dynamic Electrocardiogram According To Holter: What Is It?
In-Depth Analysis Of The Heart: Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CARDIO – MRI)
Palpitations: What They Are, What Are The Symptoms And What Pathologies They Can Indicate
Cardiac Asthma: What It Is And What It Is A Symptom Of
Cardiac Rhythm Restoration Procedures: Electrical Cardioversion
Abnormal Electrical Activity Of The Heart: Ventricular Fibrillation
Gastro-Cardiac Syndrome (Or Roemheld Syndrome): Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment
Cardiac Arrhythmias: Atrial Fibrillation