Ventricular tachycardia

Abnormal heartbeats, or arrhythmias, found in adults can also affect children. Your child’s health care professional may ask you or your child questions if they have a hard time describing symptoms. You also may be asked about your child’s medical and family history. These answers can help establish your child’s risk for arrhythmia. Diagnostic tests for arrhythmia may also be recommended. Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) Like other arrhythmias, Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder of the heart’s electrical system. When a child has LQTS, the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles) take too long to relax after a contraction. The name for the condition comes from letters associated with the waveform created by the heart’s electrical signals when recorded by an LQTS can be hereditary, appearing in otherwise healthy children. Other children may acquire LQTS, sometimes as a side effect of medications. Some arrhythmias related to LQTS can cause sudden cardiac arrest and are potentially fatal. Deafness may also occur with one type of inherited LQTS. Symptoms of LQTS Children with LQTS may not have any symptoms. Children who do have symptoms may experience: • • Seizures • Irregular heart rate or rhythm • Fluttering in the chest • Sudden death Children with LQTS may experience a longer-than-normal QT interval during physical activity, when startled by a noise or when experiencing intense emotion such as fright, anger or pain. If your child experiences fainting episodes, or if your family h...

Tachycardia is a heart rate that’s faster than normal, or more than 100 beats per minute at rest. It can start in your upper or lower chambers of your heart and can range from mild to life-threatening. Treatments include medicines, an ablation procedure and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement. Overview Tachycardia, a heart rhythm that’s faster than normal, is more than 100 beats a minute at rest. What is tachycardia? When you have tachycardia, your heart beats faster than normal for a few seconds to a few hours. Normally, your heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute when you’re not active. When your heart beats more than 100 times a minute at rest, that’s tachycardia. Because your heart beats too often, it doesn’t have the time it needs to fill with blood between beats. This can be dangerous if your heart can’t supply all of your cells with the blood and oxygen they need. Your heart normally responds to electrical signals from your heart’s sinoatrial (SA) node. These signals control how often your heart beats. When you’ve had a scare or are very emotional or anxious, or are exercising, your heart may send signals more frequently for a short time. This is called sinus tachycardia and goes away when you calm down or rest. Other types of tachycardia can come back regularly and can be more serious. Types of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) These begin in the atria, or upper chambers of your heart, when you have an issue with electrical signals there. • At...

Ventricular arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms that make the lower chambers of your heart twitch instead of pump. This can limit or stop your heart from supplying blood to your body. While some of these arrhythmias are harmless and don’t cause symptoms, some can have serious — or even deadly — effects on your body. Overview EKG showing ventricular arrhythmia. What is a ventricular arrhythmia? A ventricular arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm that affects just the lower chambers of your heart. Those lower chambers are what drive the heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body. While some of them are harmless and don’t usually cause symptoms, some of these rhythm problems can have serious — or even deadly — effects on your body. How do these types of arrhythmias affect my heart’s function? Your heart is a pump that has four chambers. The upper chambers are the left atrium and right atrium (you can say “atria” to refer to both of them). The lower chambers are the left ventricle and right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps blood out of your heart and into your lungs, which add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide before the blood reenters your heart. The left ventricle is the last chamber blood flows through before being pumped out to your entire body. Because the ventricles are so key to the heart’s ability to pump blood, any disruption in their normal rhythm can have major consequences. These include: • • Without CPR or the use of an automated external defibrillat...

Pulseless ventricular tachycardia occurs when heart ventricles contract too fast and don’t have time to fill with blood. When blood flow stops, a person’s pulse stops. Survival depends on receiving fast emergency treatment and defibrillation. Heart-healthy habits and careful management of existing heart conditions are key to prevention. Overview What is pulseless ventricular tachycardia? Your heart has Pulseless ventricular tachycardia occurs when the ventricles beat too fast. It is a type of ventricular arrhythmia or abnormal heartbeat of the ventricles . In pulseless ventricular tachycardia, the heart contracts too fast ( Sudden cardiac arrest is a life-threatening emergency. If you suspect you or someone you're with is experiencing cardiac arrest, do not hesitate to call 911 (or your local emergency services phone number). Time is critical in treating cardiac arrest, and a delay of even a few minutes can result in permanent damage or death. Is ventricular tachycardia always pulseless? • Fast the heart beats. • Long the rapid heart rate lasts. • Often the rapid heart rate occurs. Ventricular tachycardia is often treatable. If it becomes severe it can lead to pulseless ventricular tachycardia. It is more likely to occur in people who have other heart conditions. How common is pulseless ventricular tachycardia? Each year in the U.S., about 350,000 people, mostly over age 35, die from sudden cardiac death. The majority of deaths from sudden cardiac arrest are due to ventric...

Tachycardia is a heart rate that’s faster than normal, or more than 100 beats per minute at rest. It can start in your upper or lower chambers of your heart and can range from mild to life-threatening. Treatments include medicines, an ablation procedure and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement. Overview Tachycardia, a heart rhythm that’s faster than normal, is more than 100 beats a minute at rest. What is tachycardia? When you have tachycardia, your heart beats faster than normal for a few seconds to a few hours. Normally, your heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute when you’re not active. When your heart beats more than 100 times a minute at rest, that’s tachycardia. Because your heart beats too often, it doesn’t have the time it needs to fill with blood between beats. This can be dangerous if your heart can’t supply all of your cells with the blood and oxygen they need. Your heart normally responds to electrical signals from your heart’s sinoatrial (SA) node. These signals control how often your heart beats. When you’ve had a scare or are very emotional or anxious, or are exercising, your heart may send signals more frequently for a short time. This is called sinus tachycardia and goes away when you calm down or rest. Other types of tachycardia can come back regularly and can be more serious. Types of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) These begin in the atria, or upper chambers of your heart, when you have an issue with electrical signals there. • At...

Pulseless ventricular tachycardia occurs when heart ventricles contract too fast and don’t have time to fill with blood. When blood flow stops, a person’s pulse stops. Survival depends on receiving fast emergency treatment and defibrillation. Heart-healthy habits and careful management of existing heart conditions are key to prevention. Overview What is pulseless ventricular tachycardia? Your heart has Pulseless ventricular tachycardia occurs when the ventricles beat too fast. It is a type of ventricular arrhythmia or abnormal heartbeat of the ventricles . In pulseless ventricular tachycardia, the heart contracts too fast ( Sudden cardiac arrest is a life-threatening emergency. If you suspect you or someone you're with is experiencing cardiac arrest, do not hesitate to call 911 (or your local emergency services phone number). Time is critical in treating cardiac arrest, and a delay of even a few minutes can result in permanent damage or death. Is ventricular tachycardia always pulseless? • Fast the heart beats. • Long the rapid heart rate lasts. • Often the rapid heart rate occurs. Ventricular tachycardia is often treatable. If it becomes severe it can lead to pulseless ventricular tachycardia. It is more likely to occur in people who have other heart conditions. How common is pulseless ventricular tachycardia? Each year in the U.S., about 350,000 people, mostly over age 35, die from sudden cardiac death. The majority of deaths from sudden cardiac arrest are due to ventric...

Ventricular arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms that make the lower chambers of your heart twitch instead of pump. This can limit or stop your heart from supplying blood to your body. While some of these arrhythmias are harmless and don’t cause symptoms, some can have serious — or even deadly — effects on your body. Overview EKG showing ventricular arrhythmia. What is a ventricular arrhythmia? A ventricular arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm that affects just the lower chambers of your heart. Those lower chambers are what drive the heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body. While some of them are harmless and don’t usually cause symptoms, some of these rhythm problems can have serious — or even deadly — effects on your body. How do these types of arrhythmias affect my heart’s function? Your heart is a pump that has four chambers. The upper chambers are the left atrium and right atrium (you can say “atria” to refer to both of them). The lower chambers are the left ventricle and right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps blood out of your heart and into your lungs, which add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide before the blood reenters your heart. The left ventricle is the last chamber blood flows through before being pumped out to your entire body. Because the ventricles are so key to the heart’s ability to pump blood, any disruption in their normal rhythm can have major consequences. These include: • • Without CPR or the use of an automated external defibrillat...

Abnormal heartbeats, or arrhythmias, found in adults can also affect children. Your child’s health care professional may ask you or your child questions if they have a hard time describing symptoms. You also may be asked about your child’s medical and family history. These answers can help establish your child’s risk for arrhythmia. Diagnostic tests for arrhythmia may also be recommended. Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) Like other arrhythmias, Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder of the heart’s electrical system. When a child has LQTS, the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles) take too long to relax after a contraction. The name for the condition comes from letters associated with the waveform created by the heart’s electrical signals when recorded by an LQTS can be hereditary, appearing in otherwise healthy children. Other children may acquire LQTS, sometimes as a side effect of medications. Some arrhythmias related to LQTS can cause sudden cardiac arrest and are potentially fatal. Deafness may also occur with one type of inherited LQTS. Symptoms of LQTS Children with LQTS may not have any symptoms. Children who do have symptoms may experience: • • Seizures • Irregular heart rate or rhythm • Fluttering in the chest • Sudden death Children with LQTS may experience a longer-than-normal QT interval during physical activity, when startled by a noise or when experiencing intense emotion such as fright, anger or pain. If your child experiences fainting episodes, or if your family h...

Ventricular arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms that make the lower chambers of your heart twitch instead of pump. This can limit or stop your heart from supplying blood to your body. While some of these arrhythmias are harmless and don’t cause symptoms, some can have serious — or even deadly — effects on your body. Overview EKG showing ventricular arrhythmia. What is a ventricular arrhythmia? A ventricular arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm that affects just the lower chambers of your heart. Those lower chambers are what drive the heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body. While some of them are harmless and don’t usually cause symptoms, some of these rhythm problems can have serious — or even deadly — effects on your body. How do these types of arrhythmias affect my heart’s function? Your heart is a pump that has four chambers. The upper chambers are the left atrium and right atrium (you can say “atria” to refer to both of them). The lower chambers are the left ventricle and right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps blood out of your heart and into your lungs, which add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide before the blood reenters your heart. The left ventricle is the last chamber blood flows through before being pumped out to your entire body. Because the ventricles are so key to the heart’s ability to pump blood, any disruption in their normal rhythm can have major consequences. These include: • • Without CPR or the use of an automated external defibrillat...

Tachycardia is a heart rate that’s faster than normal, or more than 100 beats per minute at rest. It can start in your upper or lower chambers of your heart and can range from mild to life-threatening. Treatments include medicines, an ablation procedure and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement. Overview Tachycardia, a heart rhythm that’s faster than normal, is more than 100 beats a minute at rest. What is tachycardia? When you have tachycardia, your heart beats faster than normal for a few seconds to a few hours. Normally, your heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute when you’re not active. When your heart beats more than 100 times a minute at rest, that’s tachycardia. Because your heart beats too often, it doesn’t have the time it needs to fill with blood between beats. This can be dangerous if your heart can’t supply all of your cells with the blood and oxygen they need. Your heart normally responds to electrical signals from your heart’s sinoatrial (SA) node. These signals control how often your heart beats. When you’ve had a scare or are very emotional or anxious, or are exercising, your heart may send signals more frequently for a short time. This is called sinus tachycardia and goes away when you calm down or rest. Other types of tachycardia can come back regularly and can be more serious. Types of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) These begin in the atria, or upper chambers of your heart, when you have an issue with electrical signals there. • At...