http://www.fpnotebook.com/

Arrhythmias in AthletesAka: Dysrhythmias in Athletes

See Also
1. Sudden Death in Athletes
Causes: Non-Cardiac Causes
1. Lack of sleep
2. Volume depletion
3. Caffeine Intake
4. Emotional stress
5. Anemia
6. Illicit Drug Use
7. Viral illness
8. Personality Disorder
Causes: Cardiac Dysrhthmia types
1. Conduction defects
  1. Underlying Coronary Artery Disease (over age 40)
  2. Manifested with rising level of ischemia
2. Enhanced automaticity
  1. Sympathetic load
  2. Increased afterload stimulates stretch receptors
  3. Irritability of pacers due to ischemia
3. Re-entry phenomena: Accessory bundles
  1. Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
  2. Long-Ganong-Levine Syndrome
4. Re-vascularization
  1. Post thrombolsis
  2. Post arteriospasm
Symptoms: Red Flags
1. Decreased cardiac output
  1. Dizziness
  2. Vision changes
  3. Lightheadedness
  4. Syncope
  5. Nausea
  6. Chest discomfort
  7. Angina
2. Wall motion abnormality
  1. Awareness of heart beat
  2. Palpitations
Signs: Red Flags
1. Resting tachycardia
2. Hypertension
3. Chest deformity
4. Suspicious murmur
Diagnostics: Electrocardiogram
1. Normal Rhythm variants in athletes
  1. See Athletic Heart Syndrome
  2. Sinus Bradycardia
  3. First degree AV Block
  4. Second degree AV Block: Mobitz I
  5. Junctional rhythm
  6. Premature Beats: PACs and PVCs
  7. Incomplete Right Bundle Branch Block
  8. Non-specific ST and T Wave changes
2. Life Threatening rhythm abnormalities
  1. QT Prolongation
    1. Erythromycin
    2. Antifungal Medications
    3. Seldane
  2. WPW Syndrome
    1. Delta wave at QRS suggests accessory pathway
  3. Third degres AV Block
    1. Presents as Syncope
    2. Suggests underlying Coronary Artery Disease

Navigation Tree

Please see the Terms and Conditions. Please also see the privacy statement regarding advertising on this page. Although access to this page is not restricted, the information found here is intended for use by medical providers. Patients should address specific medical concerns with their physicians.

This page was written by Scott Moses, MD. This page was last revised before 5/10/08, prior to consistent tracking of revision date. This page was last published on 6/1/2008. Please send comments and questions to the editor. Contact information may be found on the page About the Family Practice Notebook. These pages are best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0.