Abnormal Heart Rhythm |
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Conditions and Treatments
An abnormal heart rhythm is a change in the speed or pattern of the heartbeat -- the heart may beat too slowly, too rapidly or irregularly. When the heart beats too slowly, not enough blood is pumped out to the rest of the body. When the heart beats too quickly, the body doesn't receive the blood volume it needs to function properly. Slow heart rates are called bradycardias. Fast heart rates are called tachycardias.
Conditions associated with a rapid heart beat or tachycardia include:
Conditions associated with a slow heartbeat or bradycardia include:
Syncope, also known as fainting, or a sudden and brief loss of consciousness, may be caused by a rapid or slow heartbeat. In some cases, a child may have both tachycardia and bradycardia. In addition, there are post-operative arrhythmias that sometimes occur when surgery to repair a heart defect inadvertently damages the heart's electrical system, causing tachycardias or bradycardias.
Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated May 8, 2007
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