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arrhythmia

arrhythmia

28 7.4
An uneven heartbeat that is faster, slower, or not regular
  • noun
  • /əˈrɪðmiə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arritmia
  • The heart loses its synchrony because all parts of it no longer function properly, and arrhythmia occurs.
  • cardiac arrhythmia
  • ventricular arrhythmia
  • detect arrhythmia

And through respiratory sinus arrhythmia, your heart rate is changing.

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Examples

  • The entertainer died tuesday in Memphis from what doctors called cardiac arrhythmia.

  • And when they looked at those people who died, most of the people had arrhythmias, these abnormal heartbeats.

  • You really need to get a doctor to look at that heart arrhythmia.

  • The doctor detected a heart arrhythmia.

  • We were able to restore blood flow to the heart... but he developed a lethal arrhythmia.

  • We have a possible cardiac arrhythmia, you need a defibrillator.

  • It looks to me like arrhythmia, which is an irregular heartbeat.

  • AF is the most common, sustained cardiac arrhythmia and, if left untreated, is a significant risk factor for stroke and other morbidities.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The most common arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation (AF), and this poses a significant risk factor for stroke.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The doctor detected a heart arrhythmia during the examination.

Synonyms

cardiac arrhythmia
vsarrhythmia
  • Specialized
5 5.1

An irregular heartbeat that is too fast or too slow

is the same condition but named in a shorter, more general medical term
irregularity in heartbeat
vsarrhythmia
  • Specialized
4.1

An uneven beating of the heart that is not steady

is the technical medical name for that irregular pump rhythm

Antonyms

19 3.3

Happening often in the same way or at the same times

Compounds

cardiac arrhythmia
  • Specialized
5 5.1

An irregular heartbeat that is too fast or too slow

How Regular

heart rhythm
  • Specialized
7 3.0
extrasystole
  • Specialized
9.9
arrhythmia
  • Specialized
28 7.4
ventricular fibrillation
  • Specialized
1 7.8

Surface Forms

arrhythmia singular
arrhythmias plural

Morphology

arrhythmia = rhythm (semi-transparent) = a + rhythm + ia

The prefix 'a-' denotes absence, and 'rhythm' is clear, but the medical context may not be immediately obvious.

Etymology

Arrhythmia comes from Greek parts a- meaning 'not' and rhythm meaning 'a steady beat', so it literally means 'no steady beat' and explains why it describes an irregular heartbeat.