Ventricular tachycardias
The ventricular tachycardias include both ventricular tachycardia itself, and ventricular fibrillation.Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a rapid heart rhythm originating within the ventricles. VT tends to disrupt the orderly contraction of the ventricular muscle, so that the ventricle’s ability to eject blood is often significantly reduced. That, combined with the excessive heart rate, can reduce the amount of blood actually being pumped by the heart during VT to dangerous levels. Consequently, while patients with VT can sometimes feel relatively well, often they experience – in addition to the ubiquitous palpitations – extreme lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, or even sudden death.
Figure 4 - Ventricular tachycardia. The small purple line indicates a typical VT circuit.
