Arrhythmias

Supraventricular arrhythmias can exacerbate the heart failure symptoms by decreasing the effective cardiac output and their control require pharmacological, electrical, or catheter-based intervention.

In patients with atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation, anticoagulation is paramount to prevent systemic or cerebral embolism. People with heart failure are also prone to develop ventricular arrhythmias that can present a challenge to the clinician. The management strategy depends on the type of arrhythmia, the underlying structural heart disease and the severity of heart failure.