Symptoms and treatment of ventricular arrhythmias

Among the many heart diseases, ventricular arrhythmia is considered the most common, the occurrence of which is caused by premature excitation as a result of impulses emanating from the ventricular conduction system. The source of this pathology is the Purkinje fibers and the branching of the His bundle.

The result of the development of the disease is a heart rhythm disorder, accompanied by conductive impulses in the ventricular region.

Varieties of ventricular arrhythmias

In medical practice, many cases of severe disorders with the threat of sudden death have been recorded. However, this disease can also be expressed in mild forms.

Otherwise, the disease begins to develop at an accelerated pace.

Cardiac arrhythmias have their own classification and are divided into 3 main categories:

1. Premature contractions of the ventricles (extrasystole).
2. Tachycardia of the ventricles.
3. Ventricular fibrillation.

Premature contractions of the ventricles of the heart are an abnormal acceleration of the heartbeat. Extrasystoles are nothing more than complexes that come directly from the ventricles. They can be either single or paired.

Ventricular tachycardias also have a gradation in time duration and can be:

• volley;
• unstable;
• persistent.

According to the morphological features of tachycardia are:

• monomorphic;
• polymorphic;
• pirouette;
• bidirectional;
• coming from the outflow tract of the right ventricle.

The greatest danger to human life is represented by early ventricular extrasystoles, the list of which includes paroxysmal tachycardia of the ventricles of the heart. The course of diseases can be of different duration. Treatment must be carried out in a timely manner.

Causes of ventricular arrhythmias

Ventricular tachycardia of the heart is nothing more than a slowdown and disturbance of the rhythm of heart contractions that occurs due to an ectopic focus in the ventricle. This condition is characterized by a sudden paroxysmal onset. That's how it ends.

As for the causes of ventricular tachycardia, most often they are caused by the presence of serious pathologies of the heart:

• myocardial infarction;
• myocarditis.

Electrolyte disorders and drug exposure are often the causative factor. There are tachycardias against the background of long QT syndrome, which can be either congenital or acquired.

The danger of this disease is asymptomatic course.

Although in such patients some signs slip, which serve as a reason for the examination:

• they are dizzy;
• the rhythm of the heart increases and is disturbed;
• periodically there is a loss of consciousness;
• pain in the chest.

Ventricular tachycardia is diagnosed by ECG. Treatment of the disease involves the elimination of the main symptoms and the relief of concomitant pathological changes.

The onset of death in most cases occurs as a result of ventricular fibrillation.

Ventricular arrhythmias of this type develop against the background of coronary heart disease. The occurrence of seizures in men is observed much more often than in the female half of the population.

Ventricular fibrillation or ventricular fibrillation is a rather dangerous condition. Manifestations are characterized by arrhythmic contractions of the cardiac ventricular muscles. In such a condition, pronounced violations of the pumping functions of the heart are observed, which is fraught with insufficient blood supply to the entire body with all the ensuing consequences. Only urgent resuscitation can save the patient with this symptomatology.

So, among the main causes of ventricular fibrillation are:

• ischemia;
• complications of coronary heart disease;
• myocardial infarction;
• cardiomyopathy;
• heart defects.

The occurrence of fibrillation may be due to electrolyte failures of the myocardium, even without the presence of severe cardiac pathologies, as well as violations of the functional characteristics of the nervous system. In addition, in medical practice there are cases of diagnosing idiopathic ventricular fibrillation with unidentified causative factors.

Symptoms of ventricular arrhythmias

Ventricular arrhythmias, like other pathologies of the heart, have their own symptoms.

Premature contractions of the ventricles often occur without pronounced signs, although in some cases patients complain of the occurrence of popping sounds, increased pulsation, heart failure, and increased anxiety. During the examination of such patients, infection and anemia can be detected.

Signs of ventricular tachycardia are expressed in the appearance of the following changes in patients:

• increased heart rate, sensation of a lump in the throat;
• the occurrence of discomfort and burning in the chest;
• malaise;
• dizziness;
• decrease or loss of vision;
• fainting;
• bouts of fear;
• blanching of the skin.

In some cases, the disease may be asymptomatic.

Ventricular tachycardia comes in two forms:

• monomorphic;
• polymorphic.

The occurrence of the first suggests one source that acts as a causal factor - damage to the heart muscle, and the second - several, including drug overdose and genetic predisposition.

A more serious pathology is ventricular fibrillation. The disease itself is characterized by a rapid, irregular rhythm in the ventricles, which can lead to heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest. In this case, patients may feel dizzy and a distinct heartbeat.

Signs of fibrillation and ventricular flutter:

• pain in the chest;
• tachycardia;
• dizziness;
• bouts of nausea accompanied by vomiting;
• violation of the respiratory rhythm, shortness of breath;
• short-term loss of consciousness;
• increased sweating;
• pulse acceleration.

Diagnosis and treatment of ventricular arrhythmia

Treatment of ventricular arrhythmias involves a preliminary diagnosis. The disease is determined on the basis of a detailed examination and questioning of patients, taking into account complaints. Patients are prescribed an electrocardiogram without fail, and the compilation of a medical history is based not only on the main symptoms, but also when taking into account the history of past illnesses. After clarifying the nature of ventricular arrhythmia and the degree of complexity of the disease, treatment is prescribed.

The basis for determining therapeutic tactics is the form of extrasystole and its localization:

1. So, single extrasystoles, which are not caused by cardiac changes, are not treated in principle.
2. But when they arose as a result of violations of the functional characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract, malfunctions of the endocrine system and the heart, treatment is carried out. Moreover, the priority is the relief of signs of the underlying disease.

Drug treatment is prescribed based on the daily quantitative indicator of extrasystoles and the analysis of the main symptoms. In most cases, such patients are prescribed antiarrhythmic drugs. At the same time, the treatment regimen and dosage are selected individually, taking into account the pronounced signs of the disease, the presence of concomitant ailments and the individual characteristics of the organism. Treatment is carried out under the supervision of specialists.

Among the effective drugs used for this purpose, there are:

• Novocainamide;
• Kordaron;
• Diltiazem;
• Quinidine and a number of others.

Treatment of the ventricular form with an increased frequency of extrasystoles, which varies from 20 thousand to 30 thousand per day, is advisable to carry out by radiofrequency ablation.

The goal in this scenario is to prolong the life of patients, and the treatment regimen in most cases involves the following procedure:

1. Treatment of the disease that acts as a causative factor.
2. Stabilization of hemodynamics.
3. Elimination of the causes of ventricular arrhythmias.
4. Prevention of relapses and repetitions.

Treatment can be carried out:

• with the help of medications;
• when using defibrillators and cardioverters;
• operative ablation.

The most popular way to solve this problem is a medical method of treatment.

Ventricular fibrillation requires a special approach. In this case, patients require resuscitation with sufficient ventilation of the lungs, stimulation of cardiac activity and blood circulation. For this, an electric defibrillator is used. In addition, patients are given artificial respiration, and in some cases they resort to injections of adrenaline and antiarrhythmic therapy.

When the first signs of fibrillation appear, the first thing to do is to call an ambulance, and while waiting for the arrival of the cardio team, the victim should be laid on the floor, removing the pillow so that he throws his head back. It is necessary to ensure that the patient breathes well. If necessary, extra objects should be removed from the patient's mouth: false dentures. Then artificial respiration is done and a heart massage is performed. This approach will increase the likelihood of success in further action.