Tachycardia

Question 1

What is tachycardia?

Answer 1

Heart rate greater than 100 bpm

Question 2

Regular tachycardia refers to a rapid heart rate with a _____ rhythm so the time interval between each heartbeat is relatively ____

Answer 2

consistent
constant

Question 3

Give some examples of regular tachycardia

Answer 3

Sinus tachycardia
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)
Ventricular tachycardia (VT)
Atrial Flutter
AVNRT
AVRT (Atrioventricular Re-entrant Tachycardia, can be irregular)

Question 4

Sinus tachycardia is a fast heart rate originating from the _______ ____ and can be caused by various factors like…

Answer 4

sinoatrial node
Stress, anxiety, fever, dehydration, physical exertion

Question 5

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a fast heart originating above the ventricles often involving a_____ e____ p____ in the atria

Answer 5

abnormal electrical pathways

Question 6

Symptoms of SVT include…

Answer 6

Palpitations
Chest discomfort
SOB
Dizziness

Question 7

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a fast heart rhythm originating in the ____. It can be life-threatening if not promptly treated

Answer 7

ventricles

Question 8

What are symptoms of VT?

Answer 8

Palpitations
Chest pain
Fainting
Cardiac arrest

Question 9

Irregular tachycardia refers to a rapid heart rate with an irregular rhythm meaning the t____ between each _____ varies

Answer 9

time
heartbeat

Question 10

The most common irregular tachycardia is…

Answer 10

Atrial fibrillation

Question 11

In AFib, the chaotic and irregular heart rhythm originates in the ___

Answer 11

atria

Question 12

Examples of irregular tachycardia include…

Answer 12

AFib
Multifocal atrial tachycardia

Question 13

What does AVNRT stand for?

Answer 13

Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia

Question 14

AVNRT is a specific type of ________ tachycardia characterised by a reentrant circuit involving the AV node (regulates electrical impulses between atria and ventricles)

Answer 14

supraventricular

Question 15

In AVNRT there are 2 pathways within the AVN with different conduction v____ allowing for the formation of a re-entrant circuit

Answer 15

velocities

Question 16

True or false: AVNRT is the most common type of supraventricular tachycardia

Answer 16

True

Question 17

Atrial flutter is a type of _______ tachycardia characterised by a rapid and ____ atrial rhythm

Answer 17

supraventricular
regular

Question 18

Atrial flutter is caused by a ____ circuit within the atria, typically involving an area of abnormal electrical activity that initiates the arrhythmia

Answer 18

re-entrant

Question 19

What is seen on an ECG in atrial flutter?

Answer 19

Sawtooth pattern

Question 20

In AVRT, the re-entrant circuit involves both the atria and ventricles and typically includes an accessory pathway like the b____ of ____ that bypasses the normal AV node conduction pathway.
Accessory pathway allows impulses to travel directly to ventricles leading to rapid heart rate.

Answer 20

bundle of Kent

Question 21

In AVNRT, the re-entrant circuit occurs entirely within the ___ itself, the slow pathway and the fast pathway.
Re-entrant pathway occurs when impulses travel down one pathway and back up other, leading to rapid atrioventricular conduction

Answer 21

AVN

Question 22

Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening arrhythmia characterised by rapid and chaotic electrical activity in the ventricles. What do the ventricles do?

Answer 22

They quiver rather than doing full contractions. This loos of co-ordinated mechanical function prevents effective blood circulation

Question 23

Ventricular fibrillation can lead to…

Answer 23

sudden cardiac death

Question 24

VFib occurs when several e____ electrical impulses arise from different sites in the ventricles leading to asynchronous depolarisation of cardiac m____ f____ resulting in inadequate cardiac output

Answer 24

ectopic
muscle fibres

Question 25

What are symptoms of VFib?

Answer 25

Sudden loss of consciousness
Absence of palpable pulse
Cessation of effective breathing

Question 26

What can cause VFib?

Answer 26

Coronary artery disease
MI
Cardiomyopathy
Valvular heart disease
Electrolyte imbalances
Drug toxicity
Hypoxia
Severe trauma