Fifteen of these patients were cured, and no treatment complications were seen in the 16 patients. People with atrial tachycardia often experience periods of abnormally rapid heartbeats involving one or both of the heart's upper chambers called the right and left atria. Their heart rates may jump to two or more times their normal rates for periods lasting a few minutes to several days. Symptoms of atrial tachycardia may include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting spells. To pump blood efficiently, the heart's pacemaking tissues must send electrical signals to heart muscles, with the four chambers of the heart contracting in proper order.
Atrial tachycardia is caused by the generation of electrical signals from abnormal heart tissue.
The signals cause one or both atria to contract rapidly and out of synch with the heart's lower chambers called ventricles. Radiofrequency ablation destroys only a small bit of tissue. The procedure causes little or no discomfort and is performed under mild sedation and local anesthesia. The multielectrode catheter used in this study provides, within only a few beats of the patient's heart, a three-dimensional map of electrical activity in the patient's atrium. This information allows the cardiologist to quickly pinpoint the source of the abnormal heart rhythm.