What is the difference between heart palpitations & arrhythmia?

Nurses General Nursing

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Thanks!

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Specializes in tele, stepdown/PCU, med/surg.

Hey,

Palpitations are a subjective feeling that a patient may have with or without arrhythmia. Arrhythmia is an objective occurence that can be seen/assessed by others either by feeling a pulse, looking at heart monitor etc.

While palpitations often accompany certain arrhythmias, they can occur without arrhythmia too. I just had a patient last week who said she felt flutter "flip flops" in her heart during the night. Her heart monitor though showed a completely normal sinus rhythm with no ectopy or arrhythmia. Hope this helps.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Nailed that one right on the head! Very good way to explain it!

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Great explaination, but I just think of it as palpations are looking at Tom, Sam, Antonio, or Noah. Arrhythmia is real trouble, like running for a code. LOL.

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Great explaination, but I just think of it as palpations are looking at Tom, Sam, Antonio, or Noah. Arrhythmia is real trouble, like running for a code. LOL.

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Specializes in ER, Medicine.

Well I learned something new. :-D Teriffic explanation.

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Specializes in ER, Medicine.

Well I learned something new. :-D Teriffic explanation.

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Great explaination, but I just think of it as palpations are looking at Tom, Sam, Antonio, or Noah. Arrhythmia is real trouble, like running for a code. LOL.

Tom, Sam, Antonio, Noah...? please explain I'm lost.

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Great explaination, but I just think of it as palpations are looking at Tom, Sam, Antonio, or Noah. Arrhythmia is real trouble, like running for a code. LOL.

Tom, Sam, Antonio, Noah...? please explain I'm lost.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Great explaination, but I just think of it as palpations are looking at Tom, Sam, Antonio, or Noah. Arrhythmia is real trouble, like running for a code. LOL.

Lots of people live with arrhythmias and are asmyptomatic. But arrhythmias can often lead to other fun stuff, like a code. (Good taste in men. :))

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Great explaination, but I just think of it as palpations are looking at Tom, Sam, Antonio, or Noah. Arrhythmia is real trouble, like running for a code. LOL.

Lots of people live with arrhythmias and are asmyptomatic. But arrhythmias can often lead to other fun stuff, like a code. (Good taste in men. :))

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Just a joke Kevin. My heart races a little when I look at come males, that all. Tweety, I was watching TV with hubby tonight and realized that Keifer

Southerland has improved a lot too. LOL.

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