Can arrhythmia be cured?

Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
Updated on September 05, 2024
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There are many types of arrhythmia, some of which, like sinus tachycardia, sinus bradycardia, occasional premature atrial contractions, premature ventricular contractions, and premature junctional contractions, can also occur in healthy individuals and usually do not require treatment. Another category requires treatment, such as supraventricular tachycardia, including atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, which can be cured by radiofrequency ablation. Additionally, conditions like atrial fibrillation can be treated with radiofrequency ablation; many patients may be cured, but some may not respond to this treatment and require medication instead. There are also patients with intrinsic structural heart disease presenting various arrhythmias that can only be managed with medication, not cured.

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Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
1min 33sec home-news-image

What tests are done for arrhythmia?

The examinations required for arrhythmia are as follows: First, an electrocardiogram, which is the most important non-invasive diagnostic technique for diagnosing arrhythmias. Second, a Holter monitor test should be conducted, which records the electrocardiogram continuously over 24 hours to possibly capture the occurrence of symptoms such as palpitations and fainting, and whether they are related to arrhythmias. It clarifies the relationship between arrhythmias or myocardial ischemia attacks and daily activities, as well as their diurnal distribution characteristics, and can assist in evaluating the efficacy of medications and the condition of pacemakers to some extent. Third is the exercise test; if palpitations occur during exercise, an exercise test can assist in making a diagnosis. Fourth is the esophageal electrocardiogram, which is a useful non-invasive method for diagnosing arrhythmias. Fifth is the cardiac electrophysiological study, typically involving the placement of electrode catheters on the upper and lower parts of the right atrial wall, the tip of the right ventricle, the coronary sinus, and the His bundle area, with the electrical activity at these sites being simultaneously recorded using a multi-channel physiological recorder with 8-12 channels or more.

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Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
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Does arrhythmia premature beat have danger?

Premature beats, also known as premature contractions, abbreviated as premature beats, are a type of early ectopic heartbeats. They can be classified according to their origin into sinus, atrial, junctional, and ventricular, with ventricular being the most common. Premature beats are a common type of ectopic rhythm that can occur on the basis of sinus or ectopic rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation. They can occur occasionally or frequently and may irregularly or regularly follow each or several normal beats, forming a bigeminy or trigeminy pattern of premature beats. Generally, sinus, atrial, and junctional premature beats do not involve rapid ventricular rates and are usually not life-threatening. Although most premature beats are functional and do not cause damage to the heart, some pathological premature beats occurring on the basis of structural heart disease may further induce arrhythmias. In particular, ventricular premature beats may provoke ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation and in severe cases, may lead to sudden cardiac death. Additionally, multifocal atrioventricular premature beats are often a precursor to atrial fibrillation.

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Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
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What medicine to buy for arrhythmia?

Arrhythmia encompasses a large category of diseases, including sinus tachycardia, bradycardia, sick sinus syndrome, as well as atrial fibrillation, flutter, premature atrial contractions, supraventricular tachycardia, premature ventricular contractions, and atrioventricular block, among others. Due to the various types of arrhythmias, the medications used also differ. It is necessary to go to a hospital for a clear diagnosis to determine the specific type of arrhythmia before using appropriate anti-arrhythmic drugs. Some arrhythmias cannot be resolved just by medication; for instance, in cases like pacemaker syndrome, a pacemaker needs to be installed. Additionally, patients with atrial fibrillation who have tachy-brady syndrome also require a pacemaker. Therefore, the decision on what medication to purchase for arrhythmia should be made by a doctor.

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Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
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What medicine is used for arrhythmia?

There is still no consensus on the drugs commonly used for arrhythmia. The main classes used clinically are as follows: The first class is sodium channel blockers, which include three subclasses: moderate, mild, and significant sodium channel blockers, respectively comprising quinidine, lidocaine, and propafenone. The second class mainly consists of adrenergic receptor blockers, with propranolol being a representative drug. The third class of drugs selectively prolongs the repolarization process, among which amiodarone is commonly used clinically. The fourth class is calcium channel blockers, which mainly block calcium channels and inhibit the inflow of calcium, with verapamil being the main representative drug. Long-term use of anti-arrhythmia drugs can cause varying degrees of side effects, with severe cases possibly leading to ventricular arrhythmia or fatal cardiac conduction block. Therefore, when using these drugs clinically, it is essential to strictly control the indications, monitor adverse reactions, and strictly follow the doctor's prescription for rational medication.

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Written by Wang Li Bing
Intensive Care Medicine Department
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What is ventricular arrhythmia?

Ventricular arrhythmias mainly refer to disorders of the ventricular rhythm and are relatively common clinically, including premature ventricular contractions, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular flutter, and ventricular fibrillation. Premature ventricular contractions generally do not cause noticeable clinical symptoms, while ventricular flutter and ventricular fibrillation are very dangerous clinically and must be treated promptly with defibrillation. Therefore, ventricular arrhythmias must be treated promptly, actively treating the underlying disease, and managing the arrhythmia to prevent sudden death.