Canadian Medical Guide > Diseases > Cardiovascular Diseases > Heart Diseases > Arrhythmia Terms and Definitions




Arrhythmia

Medical Definition: Any variation from the normal rhythm or rate of the heart beat.
Guide Notes: GEN: prefer specifics; /drug ther: consider also ANTI-ARRHYTHMIA AGENTS
Arrhythmia Categories.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Arrhythmia, Sinus - Irregularity of the heart rate related to functioning of the sinoatrial node.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Atrial Fibrillation - Disorder of cardiac rhythm characterized by rapid, irregular atrial impulses and ineffective atrial contractions.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Atrial Flutter - Rapid, irregular atrial contractions due to an abnormality of atrial excitation.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Bradycardia - Excessive slowness in the action of the heart, usually with a heart rate below 60 beats per minute.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Cardiac Complexes, Premature - A premature contraction of the heart that is initiated somewhere other than the sinoatrial node.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Heart Block - Impairment of conduction in heart excitation. It is often applied specifically to atrioventricular heart block. (Dorland, 27th ed)
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Long QT Syndrome - A syndrome characterized by history of syncopal episodes and a long QT interval, sometimes leading to sudden death (DEATH, SUDDEN, CARDIAC) due to paroxysmal ventricular arrhythmia. A form associated with autosomal recessive inheritance and congenital deafness is called the JERVELL-LANGE NIELSEN SYNDROME. An autosomal dominant form without deafness is called the ROMANO-WARD SYNDROME.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Parasystole - A cardiac arrhythmia caused by the interaction of two foci independently initiating cardiac impulses at different rates. Generally one of the foci is the sinoatrial node (the normal pacemaker) and the ectopic focus is usually in the ventricle, but can occur in the sinus and AV nodes, atrium and ventricle, and AV junction. Each focus - and thus each rhythm - is protected from the influence of the other.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Pre-Excitation Syndromes - Conditions characterized by activation of the whole or some part of the ventricle by the atrial impulse earlier than would be expected if the impulse reached the ventricle by way of the normal specific conduction system only.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Sick Sinus Syndrome - Dysfunction of the sinoatrial node manifested by persistent sinus bradycardia, sinus arrest, sinoatrial exit block, chronic atrial fibrillation and inability of the heart to resume sinus rhythm following cardioversion for atrial fibrillation.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Tachycardia - Excessive rapidity in the action of the heart, usually with a heart rate above 100 beats per minute.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Ventricular Fibrillation

Arrhythmia Medical Definitions and Terms

CANADIAN MEDICAL GUIDE

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