The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : When the heart beats, listen: cardiologists

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Wednesday, Jun 13, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

When the heart beats, listen: cardiologists

R. Sujatha

Go for a check-up if your heart rhythm is irregular, say specialists

CHENNAI : We have heard of people falling unconscious and dying before being diagnosed.

Often the diagnosis is sudden cardiac arrest, an event that can happen to even athletes, cardiologists say.

On World Heart Rhythm Day, to be observed on Wednesday, the message is that every minute lost in unconsciousness due to arrhythmia reduces the survival rate by 10 per cent, says T.V. Ramakrishnan, head, Department of Accident and Emergency Medicine of Sri Ramachandra University.

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is an irregular beating of the heart that could be caused either by fast or slow beating of the heart or due to chaotic rhythm. A normal heart beats at the rate of 70 thumps a minute. Anything less than that is slow and anything more, is fast. Each of these conditions has a different medical term.

The heart has four chambers — two upper and two lower. An earlier heart attack, conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure, a scar in the muscle of the heart can trigger arrhythmia.

Common symptoms

Syncope (sudden unconsciousness), dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitations, confusion, seizures and tightness in the chest are the common complaints from people suffering from irregular rhythm.

Such conditions are no reason for fear if one is equipped to provide first aid, says J.S.N. Murthy, professor of cardiology at Sri Ramachandra University.

A simple echocardiogram (ECG) can reveal the condition, he says.

"The problem occurs because the heart beats too fast or too slow and enough blood does not flow in and out of the heart.

"Normally, it takes 0.7 seconds per beat for the blood to be pumped. The heart takes 0.3 seconds to eject and 0.4 seconds to fill up."

In his 30 years experience, he says 99 per cent of the time patients complained of lack of time for exercise. "South Asians are especially prone to coronary artery diseases as a race.

"Our coronary arteries are smaller in size compared to the Western population."

"If you feel the heart is beating fast and you feel fluttering in the chest or palpitation then you must get an ECG done and get treated for the problem either with drugs or using a defibrillator."

Arrhythmia is about the conduction system of the heart. Some babies are born with such problems and may need a permanent pace maker. Rheumatic heart diseases and diseases of the heart muscles could cause arrhythmia," says K. Harshavardhan, head of Cardio-thoracic department at the Government General Hospital.

Training in first aid

Cardiologists call for training in first aid to prevent death.

"You have three minutes to provide cardio pulmonary resuscitation when a person faints and you know it is arrhythmia.

"Otherwise, lack of blood supply to the brain will damage it. Hence it is necessary to know what should be done in such a situation," he says.

Today airports are equipped with automated external defibrillators (AED) and airhostesses have been taught to use it.

The equipment uses direct current and produces electric shock to make the heart beat again.

The patient is then transported to the hospital.

Doctors say every healthcare professional must be trained in resuscitation and every emergency room and ambulance must have an AED.

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