Tachycardia or flutter

[higgy52]

Whats the difference between Tachycardia and flutter please

[CDreamer]

Tachycardia is a fast but regular heart rate, everything beats in sync.

Atrial Flutter is when the the right atria beats very fast but because the electrical impulses go around in a circle it is not making sense - it’s a regular, irregularity. The rhythm as well as the rate is out, therefore the ventricles then don’t know how fast to beat - so they take a fraction of the rate of the atria and will often beat fast - but also out of rhythm.

I hope that makes sense but I am sure someone else can explain more clearly and it may also help if you go to YouTube and search for both because when you see it through reality or through a dynamic model - you will get it instantly.

[higgy52 in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks CDreamer,

Very good reply, thanks

[BobD Volunteer]

On an ECG flutter shows as a saw tooth line rather than a nice wave form.

[Aprilbday in reply to BobD]

Bob- does Kardia pick up and then identify the flutters for you?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Aprilbday]

I don't think the algorithms are designs to pick up flutter I'm afraid but could be wrong. It is very obvious on a 12 lead ECG.

[CDreamer in reply to BobD]

It does show as a sawtooth on the Kardia - but it won’t give you a possible diagnosis - it will show a label as ‘unclassified’.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to CDreamer]

As I suspected-- not included in the algorithms.

[Spoiler in reply to BobD]

I was actually misdiagnosed twice when in atrial 2/1 flutter after they gave me a 20 mg cardizem bolus IV in ER. I went to ER, bolused then sent home. Went back to ER as rates were back up to 185, bolused again and told I was in NSR at rate in the 80’s. My rate is never ever 80’s, norm is 60 with pacemaker at rest. He ignored what I said and said “couldnt get any better than 80’s. Drove home 80 miles and by the time I was home, it was right back. I toughed it out stayed in bed and When I flew to the Cleveland clinic was told I had been in atrial flutter the entire time, which was 5 days straight! I already knew it anyway, but this ER Dr apparently could not read a 2/1 flutter because if they slow down your flutter it can be similar to NSR. Have you heard that before, Bob?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Spoiler]

no sorry.

[Buffafly]

Copied from BHF leaflet on Arrythmias:

[Atrial flutter is a type of heart rhythm that arises in the atria. It is usually fast, with the atria often beating in a

regular rhythm at a rate of 300 beats a minute. It happens when electrical impulses circulate very fast around the atria. The ventricles can’t pump this fast successfully, so the AV node ‘blocks’ some of the electrical impulses, stopping some of them from reaching the ventricles. The ventricles often beat at a rate of about 75, or 100 or 150 beats per minute, depending on how many electrical impulses have been blocked by the AV node. However, it does this in an ordered way so that the heartbeat stays regular (unlike the chaotic way that the heart beats in atrial fibrillation, which we describe on the next page).]

I apologize for copying direct but as it is a long leaflet I downloaded I can't post a reference.

[Hidden in reply to Buffafly]

I am in permanent AF but I will admit to actually enjoying the occasional episode of atrial flutter when at my rate is 60 and the rhythm regular. For me that is indistinguishable from sinus rhythm and rather like the old days before my permanent AF.

I imagine the rate of 60 is because of a 5:1 block of the flutter rate of 300.

[Buffafly in reply to Hidden]

Interesting! The passage above went on to say that flutter often converts to AF.......

[Hidden in reply to Buffafly]

I should have added that these periodic episodes of slow flutter are apparent at rest and revert to my usual fibrillation when I get moving. I don't think I flutter on moderate exertion and on more strenuous effort I'm not usually aware of the rhythm until I stop.

[radagast58]

I think you would struggle to find a better definition of atrial flutter than buffafly. Tachycardia is a generic term for a rapid heart rate arising from impulses in the atria or ventricles which can be caused by a range of underlying pathologies (not necessarily cardiac in origin)

[Spoiler]

It was so stressful, two trips 81 miles each way, I needed to go back, but totally refused to allow my husband to take me. Two sticks each time I went and one was blown and bruised like crazy! I just suffered until I got to Cleveland flying from AR. Airport waits, one had 5 gate changes and my husband had to push me around in a wheelchair because of a incompetent ER Dr!!! It will not happen again, I will be more insistent when I see my rate not be around 60 as it always is. I tried to tell him, but he would not listen.