Dysrhythmias III: Characteristics of Dysrhythmias

The characteristics of various dysrhythmias are as follows:

Sinus tachycardia occurs when the SA node fires at 100-180 beats per minute, maintaining a regular rhythm with normal P waves.

Premature atrial contractions, or PACs, feature early beats from an extra atrial focus, showing early P waves on the ECG.

Then, atrial flutter involves a single reentrant circuit in the atria, causing rapid, regular contraction and an atrial rate of 200 to 350 beats per minute, displaying a sawtooth pattern on the ECG.

In atrial fibrillation, chaotic atrial activity leads to an irregular heartbeat, with the atrial rate reaching 350 to 600 beats per minute and no distinct P waves.

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia involves sudden rapid heartbeats, usually 150-250 beats per minute, caused by abnormal electrical pathways above the ventricles.

Ventricular tachycardia shows a fast ventricular rate, 150 to 250 beats per minute, with wide QRS complexes.

Finally, ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening condition with chaotic signals causing the ventricles to quiver, leading to erratic ECG waves.