CH 251, Respiratory Drugs, Skeletal Muscle Relaxants, Antihypertensive Drugs, Angina Pectoris, Cardiac Arrhythmias, Congestive Heart Failure, Coagulation Disorders and Hyperlipidia, Endocrine Pharmacology, Male and Female Hormones, Thyroid and Parathyroid, Diabetes

Final Exam Objectives

CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS 

Deviation from normal heart beat (rhythm of the heart).

At rest the interior of cell is negative, as action potential occurs interior becomes positive (depolarizes) from the influx of  sodium ions. Efflux of potassium ions cause repolarization i.e. the interior once again becomes negative.

Certain cardiac cells initiate and maintain the spontaneous rhythm of the heart – these are the pacemaker cells.

Cause of cardiac arrhythmia:

1)      abnormal  impulse generation: caused by injury or disease

2)      abnormal pulse conduction: due local damage or diseases

3)      simultaneous abnormalities of impulse generation and conductance: see above

There are many types of arrhythmia : see table 23.1 (pg 327) for more info.