Cardiac arrhythmias and their non-pharmacological treatment in the valvular heart diseases
Lelakowski, J.
Polski Merkuriusz Lekarski Organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego 44(264): 267-271
2018
ISSN/ISBN: 1426-9686 PMID: 30057392 Document Number: 696945
Cardiac arrhythmias most often arise in the mechanism of disorders of impulse formation (automaticity, triggered activity), disorders of impulse conduction (reentry, block) or a combination of both. Atrial fibrillation (AF) most often occurs in the course of mitral stenosis and/or mitral regurgitation, rarely in the defects of the aortic valve. Ventricular arrhythmias may be associated with the most valvular heart diseases. Among the disturbances of automatism and conduction in valvular heart diseases, the most common are atrioventricular blocks (AV blocks) and intraventricular blocks. In addition to defect correction and pharmacological treatment, non-pharmacological treatment of cardiac arrhythmias (transcatheter ablative techniques, permanent pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, implantable cardiac resynchronization devices) plays a significant role in the treatment. It is important for the practitioner to understand about the mechanisms of arrhythmia and nonpharmacological treatment in patients with acquired valvular heart diseases.