Palpitations

In the vast majority of cases, palpitations are a symptom of little clinical importance that does not warrant any particular diagnostic investigations other than a careful medical history, physical examination and standard 12-lead ECG. However, it should not be underestimated as it can be the only i...

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Main Authors: Primiano Iannone, Tiziano Lenzi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PAGEPress Publications 2008-04-01
Series:Emergency Care Journal
Online Access:http://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/ecj/article/view/1353
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author Primiano Iannone
Tiziano Lenzi
author_facet Primiano Iannone
Tiziano Lenzi
author_sort Primiano Iannone
collection DOAJ
description In the vast majority of cases, palpitations are a symptom of little clinical importance that does not warrant any particular diagnostic investigations other than a careful medical history, physical examination and standard 12-lead ECG. However, it should not be underestimated as it can be the only important symptom preceding a sudden death (sometimes in young subjects). It is not always possible to evaluate these cases swiftly. However, it requires all the physician’s skill to weigh up the medical history, clinical and electrocardiographic elements that constitute warning signs. We have observed that a history of palpitations or valve disease, fainting, especially due to exertion and poorly tolerated paroxysmal palpitations are all alarm elements. In the early weeks of life, we observed that certain subgroup of patients is at very high risk of sudden death and is unfortunately not diagnosed properly for slight and relatively unknown ECG alterations (Brugada syndrome, ARVD, long QT syndrome, idiopathic ventricular tachycardia) and the underestimation of warning signs (palpitations caused by exertion, unexplained episodes of fainting). The aim of this short work is to provide elements for guiding the identification of this very generic, misleading and complex symptom.
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spelling doaj.art-a19cd36043004708aa24b906b2fdbba92022-12-22T03:34:59ZengPAGEPress PublicationsEmergency Care Journal1826-98262008-04-014291710.4081/ecj.2008.2.9880PalpitationsPrimiano Iannone0Tiziano Lenzi1Dipartimento di Emergenza SC di Pronto Soccorso e Medicina d’Urgenza AUSL ImolaDipartimento di Emergenza SC di Pronto Soccorso e Medicina d’Urgenza AUSL ImolaIn the vast majority of cases, palpitations are a symptom of little clinical importance that does not warrant any particular diagnostic investigations other than a careful medical history, physical examination and standard 12-lead ECG. However, it should not be underestimated as it can be the only important symptom preceding a sudden death (sometimes in young subjects). It is not always possible to evaluate these cases swiftly. However, it requires all the physician’s skill to weigh up the medical history, clinical and electrocardiographic elements that constitute warning signs. We have observed that a history of palpitations or valve disease, fainting, especially due to exertion and poorly tolerated paroxysmal palpitations are all alarm elements. In the early weeks of life, we observed that certain subgroup of patients is at very high risk of sudden death and is unfortunately not diagnosed properly for slight and relatively unknown ECG alterations (Brugada syndrome, ARVD, long QT syndrome, idiopathic ventricular tachycardia) and the underestimation of warning signs (palpitations caused by exertion, unexplained episodes of fainting). The aim of this short work is to provide elements for guiding the identification of this very generic, misleading and complex symptom.http://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/ecj/article/view/1353
spellingShingle Primiano Iannone
Tiziano Lenzi
Palpitations
Emergency Care Journal
title Palpitations
title_full Palpitations
title_fullStr Palpitations
title_full_unstemmed Palpitations
title_short Palpitations
title_sort palpitations
url http://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/ecj/article/view/1353
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