Ventricular arrhythmias include the following types.

Written by Wei Shi Liang

Intensive Care Unit

Updated on January 13, 2025

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Common ventricular arrhythmias mainly include premature ventricular contractions, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular flutter, and ventricular fibrillation. Premature ventricular contractions appear on the electrocardiogram as prematurely occurring wide and abnormal QRS complexes. If asymptomatic, no treatment is needed; if symptomatic, receptor blockers can be used for treatment. Ventricular tachycardia is clearly indicated on the electrocardiogram by wide and abnormal QRS complexes, with heart rates ranging from 140 bpm to 200 bpm. The primary treatment is to remove the cause, and electrical cardioversion can be used when hemodynamics are unstable. Ventricular flutter and fibrillation, their ventricular rates are generally above 250 bpm, and treatment is crucial.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei

Cardiology

46sec

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Causes of arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is a common and frequently occurring disease in clinical practice, primarily caused by various organic heart diseases. Common heart diseases include coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, severe myocarditis, and cardiomyopathy, all of which can lead to arrhythmias that are generally severe. Arrhythmias can also occur in some healthy individuals due to instability of the autonomic nervous system. This type of arrhythmia can be clinically cured through lifestyle adjustments, appropriate exercise, and improvements in myocardial contractility and conductivity.

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Written by Wang Li Bing

Intensive Care Medicine Department

40sec

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How to alleviate arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is very common in clinical settings, and its treatment mainly includes etiological treatment and symptomatic treatment. If a patient experiences occasional premature beats without significant hemodynamic effects, special treatment may not be necessary at this time. However, if a patient repeatedly experiences supraventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and other arrhythmias, cardiac electrophysiological examination and dynamic heart rate monitoring should be conducted. Antiarrhythmic drugs or even radiofrequency ablation may be administered for symptomatic treatment, as uncontrolled arrhythmias can easily lead to sudden death in patients.

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Written by Chen Ya

Geriatrics

58sec

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Does arrhythmia require hospitalization?

Arrhythmia treatment should be determined based on the patient's symptoms, type of arrhythmia, and its impact on hemodynamics. For instance, minor conditions like slight sinus bradycardia, irregular sinus rhythm, occasional atrial premature contractions, and first-degree atrioventricular block, which have minimal impact on hemodynamics and no significant clinical manifestation or structural heart disease, do not necessitate hospitalization. However, more severe arrhythmias such as sick sinus syndrome, rapid atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, and sustained ventricular tachycardia, which can cause symptoms like palpitations, chest tightness, dizziness, low blood pressure, sweating, and in severe cases, fainting, Adam-Stokes syndrome, and even sudden cardiac death, require prompt medical attention and hospitalization for treatment.

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Written by Chen Ya

Geriatrics

1min 28sec

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Arrhythmia is caused by what?

Arrhythmia is caused by abnormal excitation of the sinoatrial node or excitation originating outside the sinoatrial node, with slow conduction, blockage, or conduction through abnormal pathways. This results in the frequency and (or) rhythm abnormalities of heartbeats, which are collectively referred to as arrhythmias. Most of the causes include the following: one is genetic arrhythmias, often due to gene channel mutations, such as the commonly seen long QT syndrome, short QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, etc. There are also acquired arrhythmias, seen in various organic heart diseases, including coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, commonly referred to as coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, and rheumatic heart disease, particularly prevalent during heart failure or acute myocardial infarction. Arrhythmias are also not uncommon in basically healthy individuals or patients with autonomic dysfunction. Other causes include electrolyte imbalance or endocrine disorders, and sometimes anesthesia, hypothermia, or surgery, such as thoracic or cardiac surgery, or medications, central nervous system diseases may also cause arrhythmias, but the specific reasons are not very clear.

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Written by Chen Ya

Geriatrics

1min 10sec

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What department should one go to for arrhythmia?

Arrhythmia is an important group of diseases among cardiovascular diseases. It can occur on its own or in conjunction with other cardiovascular diseases, thus it mainly requires consulting a department of cardiology. However, due to other causes such as electrolyte or endocrine disorders, anesthesia, hypothermia, thoracic or cardiac surgery, drug effects, and central nervous system diseases, the assistance of endocrinologists and neurologists is needed for diagnosis and treatment. Sometimes, the arrhythmia might be caused by endocrine disorders, such as thyroid diseases or hypoglycemic symptoms in diabetes, necessitating a consultation with the department of endocrinology. If symptoms like transient blindness, fainting, dizziness, or convulsions occur, it is essential to consider brain-related diseases, such as epilepsy or transient insufficient brain blood supply, and consult the department of neurology to make a differential diagnosis.