HeartRhythm

MARCH 31, 2025

Competitive atrial pacing (CAP) is a pacemaker-mediated dysrhythmia that leads to functional atrial undersensing and loss of capture. This condition may mimic pacemaker-mediated tachycardia (PMT) symptoms and has the potential to induce atrial fibrillation (AF).

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Dysrhythmia Pacemaker Atrial Fibrillation Tachycardia 40

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

FEBRUARY 8, 2015

They had already cardioverted at 120 J, then 200 J, which resulted in the following: Ventricular Tachycardia They then cardioverted at 200 J which r esulted in the same narrow complex rhythm shown above, at 185 beats per minute. This would treat both SVT or sinus tachycardia. I suggested esmolol if the heart rate did not improve.

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Tachycardia Chest Pain Pharmacology Myocardial Infarction 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

APRIL 15, 2020

Here is her ED ECG: Here is the ED physician's interpretation: IMPRESSION UNCERTAIN REGULAR RHYTHM, wide complex tachycardia, likely p-waves. LEFT BUNDLE BRANCH BLOCK [120+ ms QRS DURATION, 80+ ms Q/S IN V1/V2, 85+ ms R IN I/aVL/V5/V6] Comparison Summary: LBBB and tachycardia are new. This is clearly ventricular tachycardia.

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Tachycardia Nursing Heart Disease Dysrhythmia 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

JANUARY 5, 2020

Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia 2. Atrial dysrhythmias, and atrial fi brillation in particular, are frequently misdiagnosed by computer algorithms and then by the physician who overreads them. The rhythm is indeed irregularly irregular, so atrial fibrillation must be considered. Sinus with multifocal PACs 3. Sinus with multifocal PVCs 4.

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Atrial Fibrillation Tachycardia Arrhythmia Pulmonary 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

OCTOBER 25, 2022

We see a regular tachycardia with a narrow QRS complex and no evidence of OMI or subendocardial ischemia. The differential of a regular narrow QRS tachycardia is sinus tachycardia, SVT, and atrial flutter with regular conduction. Now the patient is in sinus tachycardia. Her initial EKG is below. Same as initial ECG.

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Tachycardia Atrial Flutter Dysrhythmia Blog 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

JULY 22, 2012

Interpretation: There is sinus tachycardia, with right bundle branch block (RBBB). Blunt cardiac injury my result in : 1) Acute myocardial rupture with tamponade 2) Valve rupture (tricuspid, aortic, mitral) 3) Coronary thrombosis or dissection (and thus Acute MI) from direct coronary blunt injury 4) Dysrhythmias of all kinds.

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Dysrhythmia Biomarkers Echocardiogram Ultrasound 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

DECEMBER 26, 2020

Tachycardia and ST Elevation. Likewise, in some cases of ischemia concealed by flutter waves, the ischemia can be seen despite the flutter waves, whereas in other cases the dysrhythmia must be terminated before the ischemia can be clearly distinguished. Tachycardia to this degree can cause ST segment changes in several ways.

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Atrial Flutter Ischemia STEMI Tachycardia 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

MAY 27, 2012

Our electrophysiologist, Rehan Karim, states he has ablated AVNR"T" ("T" because it is not tachycardia) in a 90 year old, and that he has seen rate-related BBB at very slow rates. The second explanation (AIVR), whether as a reperfusion dysrhythmia or not, seems most likely.

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Chest Pain Ischemia Dysrhythmia STEMI 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

Here is his 12-lead: There is a wide complex tachycardia with a rate of 257, with RBBB and LPFB (right axis deviation) morphology. Read about Fascicular VT here: Idiopathic Ventricular Tachycardias for the EM Physician Case Continued He was completely stable, so adenosine was administered. See Learning point 1 below. Arch Intern Med.

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Tachycardia Heart Disease Dysrhythmia Ablation 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

FEBRUARY 2, 2017

Here is the ECG: Sinus tachycardia. So the real QT is shorter, but the computer does not mention the U-wave, and the U-wave is as important as the T-wave in predicting cardiac dysrhythmias. This patient presented with severe DKA. What do you think? The computer and physician reader wrote: "ST depression, consider subendocardial injury."

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Cardiac Arrest Dysrhythmia Arrhythmia Nursing 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

NOVEMBER 30, 2019

Is it ventricular tachycardia (VT) due to hyperK or is it a supraventricular rhythm with hyperK? Here are other posts on hyperK, large calcium doses for hyperK, and ventricular tachycardia in hyperK Weakness, prolonged PR interval, wide complex, ventricular tachycardia Very Wide and Very Fast, What is it? How would you treat?

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Cardiac Arrest Tachycardia Nursing Ultrasound 40

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

MARCH 2, 2019

Opinions vary widely on the K level at which a patient must be admitted on a monitor because of the risk of ventricular dysrhythmias. My rationale is that if the K is affecting the ECG, then it is affecting the electrical milieu and can result in serious dysrhythmias. Until some real data is available, my opinion is this: 1.

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Sickle Cell Disease Ischemia Dysrhythmia Chest Pain 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

I find AV dissociation in VT to be very difficult to differentiate from artifact, as there are always random blips on tachycardia tracings. If you don't know what the dysrhythmia is, then try procainamide. Read this post: Idiopathic Ventricular Tachycardias for the EM Physician 2. Ken notes AV dissociation. What to do now?

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Tachycardia Cardiogenic Shock Angina Blog 138

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

NOVEMBER 19, 2016

Smith comment: In a large randomized trial of dopamine vs. norepinephrine (11) for shock which was published after the above-mentioned recommendations, dopamine had more adverse events (especially severe dysrhythmias, and especially atrial fibrillation). Hypotension may of course be a result of a brady- or tachydysrhythmia.

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Ischemia Cardiogenic Shock Aortic Stenosis 40

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

MARCH 6, 2020

Here was his ED ECG: There is sinus tachycardia (rate about 114) with nonspecific ST-T abnormalities. An ECG was recorded: This shows a regular narrow complex tachycardia at a rate of about 160. See my quick review of atrial tachycardia below) The tachycardia spontaneously resolved. BP:143/99, Pulse 109, Temp 37.2 °C

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Heart Failure Tachycardia Atrial Flutter Cardiomyopathy 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

APRIL 8, 2016

See here for management of Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia , which includes Torsades. Could the dysrhythmias have been prevented? Severe hypokalemia in the setting of STEMI or dysrhythmias is life-threatening and needs very rapid treatment. Learning Points: 1. 5-10 mEq over 5-10 minutes is appropriate for a K of 1.8

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STEMI Myocardial Infarction Cardiac Arrest Arrhythmia 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

OCTOBER 10, 2022

Then there is loss of pulses with continued narrow complex on the monitor ("PEA arrest") Learning Points: Sudden witnessed Cardiac Arrest due to ACS is almost always due to dysrhythmia. Tachycardia is of course, quite common in patients following cardiac arrest.

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Cardiac Arrest Chest Pain Embolism Pulmonary 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

JANUARY 30, 2019

Otherwise vitals after intubation were only notable for tachycardia. An initial EKG was obtained: Computer read: sinus tachycardia, early acute anterior infarct. She was ventilated by bag-valve-mask by EMS on arrival and was quickly intubated with etomidate and succinylcholine. A rectal temperature was obtained which read 107.9

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Heart Rhythm Sudden Cardiac Death Arrhythmia STEMI 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

APRIL 8, 2015

If the patient has Abnormal Vital Signs (fever, hypotension, tachycardia, or tachypnea, or hypoxemia), then these are the primary issue to address, as there is ongoing pathology which must be identified. Most physicians will automatically be worried about these symptoms. The tracings were considered abnormal in the following cases: 1.

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Arrhythmia Outcomes Chest Pain Risk Factors 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

MARCH 6, 2025

Smith comments : Wide complex tachycardia. The differential diagnosis of WCT is: 1) Sinus tachycardia with "aberrancy" (in this case RBBB and LAFB), but there are no P-waves and the QRS morphology is not typical of simple RBBB/LAFB. Also, if the rate is constant, not wavering up and down, it is highly unlikely to be sinus tachycardia.

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Tachycardia Dysrhythmia ICU Pulmonary 95