Intensive care unit arrhythmias

Abstract

Arrhythmias are common in the intensive care unit (ICU) and represent a major source of morbidity and increased length of stay. Arrhythmias are most likely to occur in patients with structural heart disease. The inciting factor for an arrhythmia in a given patient may be a transient imbalance, often related to hypoxia, infection, cardiac ischemia, catecholamine excess (endogenous or exogenous), or an electrolyte abnormality. Management includes correction of these imbalances as well as medical therapy directed at the arrhythmia itself. © 2007 Springer Science + Business Media Inc.