question-icon

What Does This ECG Report For Rapid Heart Rate Indicate?

default
Posted on Tue, 22 Nov 2016
Twitter Tue, 22 Nov 2016 Answered on
Twitter Thu, 8 Dec 2016 Last reviewed on
Question : Hello,
I have been feeling unwell since last two days... i could barely feel pulse in my left wrist. I m already taking medications for GAD and GERD. Being health conscious i usually develop bp and rapid heart rate on thinking more and more. I went to cardiolgist and have had an ecg and check up. He was like there is no issue with heart and sent me bk advicing me to have rest for a day or two. But today i woke up with pain in my neck and jaw, may be a psychological or whatever i cant judge. Please advice me what to do... have had echo, 24 hrs holter, 24 hrs abpm in the past a year ago which came bk normal. I am attaching latest ecg.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sukhvinder Singh (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
please see details

Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir
1. Any acute illness, sudden change in status or new symptom warrant a consultation with your physician, GP or emergency physician.
2. The ECG shows only sinus tachycardia i.e. increase in heart rate but normal rhythm mechanism. The heart rate varies with physical and mental stress. Whenever there is a physical work , exercise or stress or there is mental stress, the pulse rate increases. For example an attempt to solve a mathematics question may increase your heart rate. Hence, some degree of increase in heart rate is normal during anxiety or psychological stress.
3. Same is true for blood pressure which also increases with physical or mental stress and is a normal phenomenon.
4. If someone has increased BP and pulse rate during anxiety or stress but normal on all other occasions, it is considered to be a normal response.
5. Since you are unwell for two days and you feel there are issues with your pulse volume, I will request you to visit your GP or emergency room physician. It is important as only an examination can make a final conclusion about presence or absence of an illness and its severity.
Hope it clarifies the issue.
Feel free to discuss further.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng
doctor
default
Follow up: Dr. Sukhvinder Singh (1 hour later)
I went to cardiolgist yesterday... he took my rhythms from stethoscope near heart and other places and told me i am absolutely ok. On asking about pulse volume low on left wrist he said u don't bother about that. Basically there appears no pulse for few seconds and post five seconds i could feel pulse on left wrist. I hav had this prblm before but it got recovered in hours. Cardiolgist told me not to panic.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sukhvinder Singh (8 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
please see details.

Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir
This kind of intermittent, small duration less than 5 seconds, disappearance of pulse is usually due to premature beats. Since your cardiologist has examined you and reassured you, he must have examined it well.
Premature beats are common and often benign. If they do not cause any symptoms and have normal underlying heart disease on ECHO, they are considered benign.
. I saw your ECG and told you about sinus tachycardia. It does not show any premature beat or block.
2. If one has cardiac arrest, one wither dies or is resuscitated out of it by others. One can not have a cardiac arrest and still be measuring his/her pulse.
3. Yes, if you take an ECG exactly at time of skipped beat, it will show in ECG and not at other times.
4. The pulse may not be missing for 5 seconds. Since you are not a trained medical professional , you may not be able to decipher low volume but tangible pulses and consider it as a longer pause.
Hopefully you understand it now.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Veerisetty Shyamkumar
doctor
default
Follow up: Dr. Sukhvinder Singh (54 minutes later)
Sir if it was premature beats or skipped beats it would certainly appear on ecg. I just wanted to get assured if cardiolgist did my proper check up and told me not to bother about it.Is it sometimes normal to have low or no pulse feeling at left wrist. Let me explain once again. Wen i try to measure pulse on left wrist i m nt able to locate it for about 5 seconds. after resting my finger on wrist for about 5 seconds or leas i can feel the pulse but with considerably low in strength. On asking the cardiologist he was like there is no issue but on the other hand i went through online blogs which say could be cardiac arrest, blockage which terrifies me a lot. Plz have a look on my ecg attached.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sukhvinder Singh (17 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
please see details.

Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir
1. When you had Holter monitoring, if on that day you were having similar episodes of Missed pulse and still the report was normal, then the rhythm disorder is not significant at time of missed pulse.
2. If it was not the case at time of your previous holter monitoring, then an ECG at time of missing pulse or a holter monitor helps in ascertaining the exact cause of missing pulse.
3. There are certain red-flag signs of rhythm disorder. These are loss of consciousness, black out , unexplained fall or blurring of vision. If you have any of them at time of pulse disturbance, it requires urgent attention. Else you can follow as advised above.
4. Benign literally means harmless.
Hope this helps. Feel free to discuss further.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Sukhvinder Singh

Cardiologist

Practicing since :1998

Answered : 1306 Questions

premium_optimized

The User accepted the expert's answer

Share on

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties

159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM Blog Questions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction
What Does This ECG Report For Rapid Heart Rate Indicate?

Brief Answer: please see details Detailed Answer: Dear Sir 1. Any acute illness, sudden change in status or new symptom warrant a consultation with your physician, GP or emergency physician. 2. The ECG shows only sinus tachycardia i.e. increase in heart rate but normal rhythm mechanism. The heart rate varies with physical and mental stress. Whenever there is a physical work , exercise or stress or there is mental stress, the pulse rate increases. For example an attempt to solve a mathematics question may increase your heart rate. Hence, some degree of increase in heart rate is normal during anxiety or psychological stress. 3. Same is true for blood pressure which also increases with physical or mental stress and is a normal phenomenon. 4. If someone has increased BP and pulse rate during anxiety or stress but normal on all other occasions, it is considered to be a normal response. 5. Since you are unwell for two days and you feel there are issues with your pulse volume, I will request you to visit your GP or emergency room physician. It is important as only an examination can make a final conclusion about presence or absence of an illness and its severity. Hope it clarifies the issue. Feel free to discuss further. Sincerely Sukhvinder