PREMATURE VENTRICULAR CONTRACTION

Course overview

DURING A PREMATURE VENTRICULAR CONTRACTION (PVC), THE HEARTBEAT IS INITIATED BY THE PURKINJE FIBERS RATHER THAN THE SA NODE. GIVEN THAT A PVC OCCURS BEFORE A REGULAR HEARTBEAT, THERE IS A PAUSE BEFORE THE NEXT REGULAR HEARTBEAT. PVCS CAN OCCUR IN ISOLATION OR IN REPEATED PATTERNS. TWO CONSECUTIVE PVCS ARE TERMED DOUBLETS WHILE THREE CONSECUTIVE PVCS ARE NAMED TRIPLETS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THREE OR MORE CONSECUTIVE PVCS ARE CLASSIFIED AS VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF PVCS AND STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.