Cardiac Arrhythmias by Claire Perry 5 | CPR St. Louis

The potential risks of having an EP study done include minor bleeding, temporary arrhythmias caused by the catheter itself, and temporary changes in blood pressure.  More serious complications include perforation of the heart wall causing a life threatening condition known as cardiac tamponade, or fluid around the heart.  Extensive bleeding can cause cardiac arrest and even death, however the chances of dying during an EP study is less than one out of one thousand (Fogoros, 1).

Cardiac Ablation is also a procedure where catheters are inserted into the heart.  This technique of detecting heart arrhythmias is where high frequency energy is delivered into the heart tissue.  The goal of this process is burn off the irregularly firing tissue inside the blood vessels of the heart, and stop these electrical impulses from interfering with the hearts normal electrical activity.  This process restores the normal electric pathways through the heart and allows it to beat normally again (Boston Scientific, 1).

Many heart arrhythmias can be blamed on underlying heart disease so it is crucial that healthy lifestyle changes are made in order to manage these irregularities taking place within the heart.  Some of these lifestyle changes include eating healthy foods, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, and finding ways to reduce stress.  Along with these behavioral ways to prevent or manage heart arrhythmias, education is important in detecting signs and symptoms in order to control the arrhythmia and prevent more serious conditions like congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy.

Works Cited

 “Cardiac Ablation.” Boston Scientific Journal 1 (2012): n. pag. Procedures. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.

Fogoros, Richard N., and  M.D.. “The Electrophysiology Study.” The Heart Disease and Cardiology Home Page. N.p., 13 Nov. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. <http://heartdisease.about.com/od/palpitationsarrhythmias/a/EPStudy.htm>.

“Heart arrhythmias – MayoClinic.com.” Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-arrhythmias/DS00290/METHOD=print>.

Hoffstein, Victor, and Susan Mateika. “Cardiac Arrhythmias, Snoring, and Sleep Apnea.” American College of Chest Physicians 106.2 (2003): 466-471. Print.

Nash, Martyn , Ayman  Mourad, Richard  Clayton, and Peter Sutton. “Evidence for Multiple Mechanisms in Human Ventricular Fibrillation.” American Heart Association Journals 114 (2006): 536-542. Circulation. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.

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