Bradycardia vs Tachycardia

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Which is more life-threatening bradycardia or tachycardia?

Specializes in ED.

It would depend on how tachy or how brady the patient is. Both can be equally life threatening.

Specializes in Critical Care.

"Neither" and "Both" are equally correct.

Both of those terms simply refer to a HR within a common range or outside of a common range. Depending on the factors affecting a patient's perfusion and cardiac output demands, a HR of 55 might be more than enough for one person, but life threatening for another. Likewise, a HR of 130 might be totally appropriate in someone under high physiological stress, but unsustainable for someone else.

Specializes in NICU.
It would depend on how tachy or how brady the patient is. Both can be equally life threatening.

Also depends on what's causing it.

Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

I always say too fast is better than not enough but that comes with a big asterisk.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

Assuming this is a homework question like it appears to be, how about you tell us your thoughts first?

Specializes in PCCN.
I always say too fast is better than not enough but that comes with a big asterisk.

I dunno. I've seen some perfuse ok with a hr of 29-40, hypertensive, but some not tolerate 160 at all. No time for the ventricles to fill.tend to get hypotensive

What are your thoughts on the matter?

What is the context of the question?

Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
I dunno. I've seen some perfuse ok with a hr of 29-40, hypertensive, but some not tolerate 160 at all. No time for the ventricles to fill.tend to get hypotensive

Thats why it comes with a big asterisk. It doesn't apply to all situations.

As a practical matter, I'd rather treat too slow than too fast. Less to think about, differential list is shorter, overall easier to treat IMO

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
What is the context of the question?

I am curious to find this out as well. Short answer: both can be not so bad, both can be really bad. It depends on how high or low and on the overall clinical picture.

Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

Both can cause unstable hemodynamics and it's the unstable hemodynamics that kill, not the blood pressure itself. It's all about the oxygenation, and if that's not happening then it's over. A tachycardia can turn to V Fib which is lethal, and sinus brady can turn to worse sinus brady and then asystole which is not compatible with life.

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