Arrhythmia refers to the irregular beating of the heart. The heart rate can be slower or faster than usual. Arrhythmia is also categorized by mechanism, site of origin, or duration.
We classify the type of Arrhythmia depending on where they happen, which is easy to diagnose through an ECG.
For instance, atrial fibrillation denotes an irregular heartbeat in the upper chambers of your heart.
The term 'Cardiac arrhythmia' is used to describe a wide range of conditions. Irregular heartbeat - also known as palpitations - is the most common symptom.
While most types of Arrhythmia are harmless, a few have severe outcomes - like blood clotting or insufficient blood circulation to the heart due to a weak heartbeat. A few types of Arrhythmia can also cause cardiac arrest.
Arrhythmia can affect people of any age, but it is more common among older populations.
In most cases, you can treat Arrhttmia successfully. Pacemakers and other surgical procedures can help restore normal heartbeats. In case of faster heart rate, beta-blockers and other anti-arrhythmic methods are used.
With the aging population and rise of co-morbidities, taking a hybrid or multidisciplinary is the need of the hour.
An arrhythmia team has:
The team deals with patients with complicated conditions and inherited Arrhythmia.
A European Heart Rhythm Association Scientific Initiatives Committee survey reported that 44% of the health centers who answered the web survey had an arrhythmia team and around 17% were unaware of the term. The survey included 48 health centers sprawling across 18 European countries.
The team's presence was deemed helpful by 95% of the respondents, and 79% of the health centers claimed that it should be implemented. The team can tackle cardiac Arrhythmia more effectively than a single expert while evaluating the efficacy through clinical practice.
In 2016, the first MAM was also held in Zurich. This meeting was headed by leading cardiologists and surgeons who explained the significance of hybrid approaches and why they were preferable. They encouraged a team approach to assist atrial fibrillation patients better.
The second Multidisciplinary Arrhythmia Meeting was held on November 2 and 3 in 2017 in Zurich by Health Service and Education. Clinicians, surgeons, electrophysiologists, and cardiologists were the main attendees. The course discussed multiple integrated ways to deal with atrial fibrillation. The aim was to make attendees aware of the co-operating modes.
The unique course was focused on delivering a better quality of life and as the incidence of atrial fibrillation keeps bloating. The meeting also aimed to bolster interaction among cardiologists, surgeons, and local institutions.
Leading EPs, cardiologists, surgeons from the US, Europe, and Asia, attended the sessions and explained their reasons for favoring a multidisciplinary approach. The meeting also provided the attendees with live cases, lectures, and symposia on the available technologies.
The subsequent meetings held in 2018, 2019, and 2020 further stressed on the need to have heart teams in healthcare institutions.
