HOLIDAY HEART SYNDROME

Course overview

THE TERM "HOLIDAY HEART SYNDROME" IS USED TO DESCRIBE THE MANIFESTATION OF CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS FOLLOWING A PERIOD OF BINGE DRINKING, OFTEN OBSERVED DURING WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS. THIS ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS AND BINGE DRINKING WAS ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED BY ETTINGER ET AL., WHO OBSERVED 24 PATIENTS GETTING HOSPITALIZED WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AFTER ENGAGING IN A WEEKEND BINGE OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION. SUBSEQUENT RESEARCH HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT HHS CAN ALSO OCCUR IN INDIVIDUALS WHO RARELY OR NEVER CONSUME ALCOHOL, BUT ENGAGE IN BINGE DRINKING ON OCCASION. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, CLINICAL PRESENTATION, AND MEDICAL TREATMENT OF HOLIDAY HEART SYNDROME AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS OVERALL MANAGEMENT.