Recognizing and management of arrhythmia: Overview of nurses’ role

Abstract

Arrhythmia leads to decreased quality of life, a high risk of developing thromboembolism, and an increased mortality rate. Cardiac arrhythmia may be non-symptomatic or cause several symptoms, including heart attacks, dizziness, chest pain, and loss of consciousness. Management of patients with cardiac arrhythmias is increasingly complex because of continuous technological advances and multifaceted clinical conditions associated with the ageing of the population, co-morbidities, and the need for polypharmacy. Nurses can significantly contribute to detecting and managing these increasingly common diseases. Nurses should consider any patient with an irregular pulse with arrhythmias and direct suspected cases to electrocardiograms. Management of arrhythmias aims to reduce symptoms and prevent complications with antithrombosis, cardiovascular stimulation, and anti-arrhythmia therapy.