How serious is torsade de pointes?
Torsades de pointes is a serious arrhythmia that can lead to sudden cardiac death in some cases. However, the outlook for people managing the condition with the appropriate treatment is excellent. Arrhythmias are common but can be very serious, so an abnormal heartbeat should always be reported to a doctor.
What is a cause of torsade de point?
Common causes for torsades de pointes include drug-induced QT prolongation and less often diarrhea, low serum magnesium, and low serum potassium or congenital long QT syndrome. It can be seen in malnourished individuals and chronic alcoholics, due to a deficiency in potassium and/or magnesium.
What can you do with torsades?
The torsades rhythm is treated with magnesium sulfate 2 g IV over 1 to 2 minutes, correction of hypokalemia, pacing or isoproterenol to increase heart rate, and correction of the cause.
What is torsade de pointes ECG?
Torsades de Pointes is a type of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia characterized on electrocardiogram by oscillatory changes in amplitude of the QRS complexes around the isoelectric line. Torsades de Pointes is associated with QTc prolongation, which is the heart rate adjusted lengthening of the QT interval.
What happens to the heart during Torsades de Pointes?
In the case of torsades de pointes (TdP), the heart’s two lower chambers, called the ventricles, beat faster than and out of sync with the upper chambers, called the atria. An abnormal heart rhythm is called an arrhythmia. When the heart beats much faster than normal, the condition is called tachycardia.
What does torsades feel like?
You may suddenly feel your heart beating faster than normal, even when you’re at rest. In some TdP episodes, you may feel light-headed and faint. In the most serious cases, TdP can cause cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death. It’s also possible have an episode (or more than one) that resolves quickly.