Bradycardia

The bradycardia (of the Greek brady = slow and cardie = heart) is characterized by a Cardiac rhythm too low compared to the normal.

The “pathological” character of this bradycardia can be attested only by a Médecin.

The Cardiac rhythm at usual rest is located in the adult between 60 (sportsman practitioner the Endurance) and 80 pulsations per minute, but it can be modified by multiple factors, the noncardiac majority: anxiety, food, sportivity (the large sportsmen have a cardiac hypertrophy, their rate/rhythm at rest is lower), etc

In a sportsman trained in endurance (cyclist, long-distance runner, etc), the heart rate can be close to 30 beats per minute without that being abnormal.

For the remainder of the population (apart from the high level sportsman specialized in endurance), one speaks about bradycardia when the cardiac rhythm is lower than 50 beats per minute.

In pathology, the bradycardia can be revealing of a disorder of cardiac conduction, more rarely of a disorder of the cardiac rhythm.

Diagnosis

Private clinic

The subject can be completely asymptomatic (bradycardia discovered at the time of the catch of the Pouls or the realization of a electrocardiogram).

The bradycardia can also be discovered in front of one of the following signs: Asthenia, limitation of the usual activities, Lipothymie, Syncope, Giddinesses, thoracic Pain…

Electrocardiogram

The electrocardiogram will show a slow cardiac rhythm.
In the event of sinusal bradycardia, the electrocardiogram will show a layout of normal aspect with a slowed down rate/rhythm. Other specificities will be function of the cause of the bradycardia.

Causes

This arrhythmia can be related to multiple causes divided into two: cardiac and not-cardiac.

The not-cardiac causes are usually secondary with the use of drug or drugs (Bêta-bloquant, Digitalique, calcic Inhibiteur bradycardisant (Vérapamil, Amiodarone), with a endocrinopathy (Hypothyroïdie), an electrolytic imbalance (Hypokaliémie, acidosis), situational factors a such rest with the prolonged bed, and problems autoimmunitaires.

The cardiac causes include a ischemic cardiopathy acute or chronic, a valvulopathy, a degenerative Cardiopathie, a Malaise vagal, a auriculo-ventricular Bloc.

Treatment

The therapeutic assumption of responsibility of a bradycardia depends first of all on its cause and its repercussion.
Un medicamentous treatment of the bradycardia is not indicated for the asymptomatic subjects.
Pour the latter, the careful use of the Atropine can involve a temporary improvement while waiting for the treatment etiologic.

See too

  • Tachycardia
  • Turbid of the cardiac rhythm
  • Turbid of cardiac conduction

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