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Premature Ventricular Contractions What are premature ventricular contractions? Premature ventricular (ven-TRIK'u-ler) contractions (PVCs), also known as "extrasystoles" (eks"trah-SIS'to-leez), are "extra" heartbeats. They arise from an irritable area in the heart's lower pumping chambers (the ventricles). PVCs interrupt the normal heart rhythm and cause an irregular beat. This is often felt as a "missed beat" or a "flip-flop" in the chest. PVCs are often harmless, but when they occur very often or repetitively, they can lead to more serious rhythm disturbances. What is ventricular bigeminy? Ventricular bigeminy (ven-TRIK'u-ler bi-JEM'in-e) is one example of a PVC. In it, a regular heartbeat is coupled with an irregular beat. Related AHA publications:
See also: Adams-Stokes Disease Arrhythmias Atrial Fibrillation Bundle Branch Block Defibrillation Emergencies, Cardiovascular Heart, How It Works Pacemakers Sudden Cardiac Death Ventricular Fibrillation Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome |
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