AboutDavid Richardson Expertise Adult heart function and disease. Not very good about children lesss than 12. Hypertension is o.k. Heart rhythm a special interest.
Experience Certified in cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Was chairman of division of cardiology at the Medical College of Virginia. Am now mostly retired.
Organizations Fellow of American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology and member of American Physiological Society..
Publications Circulation, American Heart Journal, Hypertension.
Education/Credentials M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Residency training at Yale Uhniversity School of Medicine and Medical College of Virginia.
Awards and Honors Gold Heartt Award from American Heart Association in 1995.
Question Hi,
My question is can you explain a junctional rhythm with premature/extra beats. Symptoms are dizziness,blackouts,chest pain and fatigue. She is only 10 so I know that a little young for your interest. I am just trying to understand what it is and how they may treat it. So that I can ask the correct questions of our doctor when I hear from him. I will be more than happy to give a little back history if needed/wanted but I've tried asking it before and they responded to detailed.
Thank you in advance and any advice on how to educate myself would be so helpful.
Tammy
Answer Dear Tammy,
Ask if it's a junctional escape rhythm or an accelerated junctional rhythm, unless you already know. Junctional escape has heart rate 40-60 beats/minute. Accelerated junctional has heart rate 60-100. Though in either case, with all her symptoms, she probably needs a pacemaker, with the lead in her atrium (the upper chambers of the heart) unless she's taking digoxin. Has she any other heart disease? If so, it might explain the junctional rhythm.
Junctional rhythm occurs if the normal pacemaker, located in the right atrium, doesn't function well. Then the heart is driven by a lower pacemaker. located in the junction between the atria and ventricles, hence the name junctional rhythm.
Better send me the background history. It's midnight here so I won't answer till tomorrow. Please keep me informed about what you discover when you see the cardiologist.
