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Encyclopedia > Bradycardia
Name of Symptom/Sign:
Bradycardia
Classifications and external resources
ICD-10 R00.1
ICD-9 427.81, 659.7, 785.9, 779.81

Bradycardia, as applied to adult medicine, is defined as a resting heart rate of under 60 beats per minute, though it is seldom symptomatic until the rate drops below 50 beat/min. [1] Trained athletes tend to have slow resting heart rates, and resting bradycardia in athletes should not be considered abnormal if the individual has no symptoms associated with it. The term symptom (from the Greek meaning chance, mishap or casualty, itself derived from συμπιπτω meaning to fall upon or to happen to) has two similar meanings in the context of physical and mental health: Strictly, a symptom is a sensation or change in health function experienced by a patient. ... In medicine, a sign is a feature of disease as detected by the doctor during physical examination of a patient. ... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) is a coding of diseases and signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or diseases, as classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). ... // R00-R99 - Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R09) Symptoms and signs involving the circulatory and respiratory systems (R00) Abnormalities of heart beat (R000) Tachycardia, unspecified (R001) Bradycardia, unspecified (R002) Palpitations (R008) Other and unspecified abnormalities of heart beat (R01) Cardiac murmurs and other... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... Heart rate is a term used to describe the frequency of the cardiac cycle. ... Look up athlete in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


The term relative bradycardia is used to explain a heart rate that, while not technically below 60 beats per minute, is considered too slow for the individual's current medical condition.


This cardiac arrhythmia can be underlied by several causes, which are best divided into cardiac and non-cardiac causes. Non-cardiac causes are usually secondary, and can involve drug use or abuse; metabolic or endocrine issues, especially in the thyroid; an electrolyte imbalance; neurologic factors; autonomic reflexes; situational factors such as prolonged bed rest; and autoimmunity. Cardiac causes include acute or chronic ischemic heart disease, vascular heart disease, valvular heart disease, or degenerative primary electrical disease. Ultimately, the causes act by three mechanisms: depressed automaticity of the heart, conduction block, or escape pacemakers and rhythms. Cardiac arrhythmia is a group of conditions in which the electrical activity of the heart is irregular or is faster or slower than normal. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Drug abuse has a wide range of definitions related to taking a psychoactive drug or performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect. ... A few of the metabolic pathways in a cell. ... The endocrine system is a control system of ductless endocrine glands that secrete chemical messengers called hormones that circulate within the body via the bloodstream to affect distant organs. ... An electrolyte is a substance containing free ions that behaves as an electrically conductive medium. ... Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. ... Ischaemic heart disease is a disease characterized by reduced blood supply to the heart. ... Heart disease is an umbrella term for a number of different diseases which affect the heart and is the leading cause of death in the United States as of 2007. ...

Contents

Causes

ECG showing Slow heart rate or Bradycardia

There are generally two types of problems that result in bradycardias: disorders of the sinus node, and disorders of the atrioventricular node (AV node). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The sinoatrial node (abbreviated SA node, also called the sinus node) is the impulse generating (pacemaker) tissue located in the right atrium of the heart. ... The atrioventricular node (abbreviated AV node) is an area of specialized tissue between the atria and the ventricles of the heart, which conducts the normal electrical impulse from the atria to the ventricles. ...


With sinus node dysfunction (sometimes called sick sinus syndrome), there may be disordered automaticity or impaired conduction of the impulse from the sinus node into the surrounding atrial tissue (an "exit block"). It is difficult and sometimes impossible to assign a mechanism to any particular bradycardia, but the underlying mechanism is not clinically relevant to treatment, which is the same in both cases of sick sinus syndrome: a permanent pacemaker. Sick sinus syndrome, also called Bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome is a group of abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmias) presumably caused by a malfunction of the sinus node, the hearts natural pacemaker. ... Automaticity is the the ability to do things without occupying the mind with the low level details required. ... A pacemaker A pacemaker (or artificial pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the hearts natural pacemaker) is a medical device designed to regulate the beating of the heart. ...


Atrioventricular conduction disturbances (aka an AV block) may result from impaired conduction in the AV node, or anywhere below it, such as in the bundle of HIS.


Patients with bradycardia have likely acquired it, as opposed to having it congenitally. Also, bradycardia is more common in older patients, since both cardiac and non-cardiac causes are more likely in the elderly. A congenital disorder is a medical condition or defect that is present at or before birth (for example, congenital heart disease). ... Old age consists of ages nearing the average lifespan of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle. ...


Management

There are two main reasons for treating any cardiac arrhythmias. With bradycardia, the first is to address the associated symptoms, such as fatigue, limitations on how much an individual can physically exert, fainting (syncope), dizziness or lightheadedness, or other vague and non-specific symptoms. The other reason to treat bradycardia is if the person's ultimate outcome (prognosis) will be changed or impacted by the bradycardia. Treatment in this vein depends on whether any symptoms are present, and what the underlying cause is. Primary or idiopathic bradycardia is treated symptomatically if it is significant, and the underlying cause is treated if the bradycardia is secondary. Cardiac arrhythmia is a group of conditions in which the electrical activity of the heart is irregular or is faster or slower than normal. ... The word fatigue is used in everyday living to describe a range of afflictions, varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work induced burning sensation within muscle. ... It has been suggested that Central Ischaemic Response be merged into this article or section. ... // Pre-syncope is a sensation of feeling faint. ... Idiopathic means arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause. ...


Treatment

Drug treatment for bradycardia is typically not indicated for patients who are asymptomatic. In symptomatic patients, underlying electrolyte or acid-base disorders or hypoxia should be corrected first. IV atropine may provide temporary improvement in symptomatic patients, although its use should be balanced by an appreciation of the increase in myocardial oxygen demand this agent causes. Atropine is a tropane alkaloid extracted from the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and other plants of the family Solanaceae. ...


Atropine 0.5-1 mg IV or ET q3-5min up to 3 mg total (0.04 mg/kg) Atropine is a tropane alkaloid extracted from the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and other plants of the family Solanaceae. ...


See also

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... In physiology and medicine, hypotension refers to an abnormally low blood pressure. ...

References

  1. ^ Sinus Bradycardia eMedicine

  Results from FactBites:
 
Bradycardia- Health Encyclopedia and Reference (692 words)
Bradycardia is a slower than normal heart rate.
Bradycardia can also occur secondary to certain illnesses (such as decreased thyroid function, certain gastrointestinal disorders, and jaundice), or the abuse of certain drugs.
Bradycardia is common in elderly people (whether or not they suffer from arteriosclerosis) and infants with certain types of congenital heart disease.
bradycardia - definition of bradycardia in Encyclopedia (475 words)
Bradycardia, as applied in adult medicine, is defined as a heart rate of under 60 beats per minute (BPM), though it is seldom symptomatic until the rate drops below 50 bpm [1] (http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic534.htm).
It is difficult and sometimes impossible to assign a mechanism to any particular bradycardia, but the underlying mechanism is not clinically relevant to treatment, which is the same in both cases of sick sinus syndrome: a permanent pacemaker.
With bradycardia, the first is to address the associated symptoms, such as fatigue, limitations on how much an individual can physical exert, fainting (syncope), dizziness or lightheadedness, or other vague and non-specific symptoms.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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