Retired engineer presents needing help for fast and often tiring palpitations

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PRACTICE

Retired engineer presents needing help for fast and often tiring palpitations

Chris Ellis

Chris Ellis

ECG heartbeat
The ECG shows atrial flutter with a ventricular rate of 150 beats/minute, a normal axis and a 2-to-1 atrioventricular (AV) block

HEARTBEAT

A patient presents – he is generally well and fit, apart from taking medication for hypertension, but his history of regular palpitations requires some definitive action. Auckland cardiologist Chris Ellis describes the investigation and management for this man

Key points,  -Atrial flutter results from a circuit within the right atrium with a rate usually around 300 beats/minute. -The AV node varyingly blocks every se, ECG heartbeat