Cardiac Arrhythmias: Therapy

General measures

  • Immediately make an emergency call! (Call number 112)
  • Evaluation according to the “ABCDE approach” (A: “airway”, B: “breathing“, C: “circulation“, D: “disability”, E: “exposure”).
    • Oxygen delivery via mask or nasal cannula in the presence of decreased oxygen saturation (SpO2).
    • Bag-mask ventilation in the event of insufficient or absent spontaneous breathing.
    • Placement of venous access
  • Causal therapy (e.g., treatment of hyperthyroidism/hyperthyroidism).
  • Elimination of a possible electrolyte disturbance (potassium, magnesium, calcium).
  • If necessary, bed rest, sedation
  • Nicotine restriction (refrain from tobacco use).
  • Limited alcohol consumption (men: max. 25 g alcohol per day; women: max. 12 g alcohol per day).
  • Limited caffeine consumption (max 240 mg of caffeine per day; equivalent to 2 to 3 cups of coffee or 4 to 6 cups of green/black tea).
  • Aim for normal weight! Determination of BMI (body mass index, body mass index) or body composition by means of the electrical impedance analysis and, if necessary, participation in a medically supervised weight loss program or program for the underweight
    • BMI ≥ 25 → participation in a medically supervised weight loss program.
    • Falling below the BMI lower limit (from the age of 19: 19; from the age of 25: 20; from the age of 35: 21; from the age of 45: 22; from the age of 55: 23; from the age of 65: 24) → Participation in a medically supervised program for the underweight.
  • Review of permanent medication due topossible effect on the existing disease.
  • Avoidance of psychosocial stress:
    • Stress

Conventional non-surgical therapy methods

  • Electrical cardioversion, if necessary, also drug-induced cardioversion (restoration of normal heart rhythm by medication)
  • Defibrillation in ventricular fibrillation
  • Cardiac pacemaker; indications: see below “Cardiac pacemaker”.

Surgical therapy

  • Catheter ablation (ablation (Latin ablatio “ablation, detachment”) of the tissue parts that send pathological (pathological) electrical impulses); indications: see “Catheter ablation” below).
  • Closure of the left atrial appendage by means of an atrial appendage occluder (implant), cardiac catheter-based procedure (for atrial fibrillation, VHF)

Drug therapy

  • S. u. of the specific disease in question.

Vaccinations

The following vaccinations are advised, as infection can often lead to worsening of the present disease:

  • Flu vaccination
  • Pneumococcal vaccination

Regular checkups

  • Regular medical checkups

Nutritional medicine

  • Nutritional counseling based on nutritional analysis
  • Nutritional recommendations according to a mixed diet taking into account the disease at hand. This means, among other things:
    • A total of 5 servings of fresh vegetables and fruit daily (≥ 400 g; 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit).
    • Once or twice a week fresh sea fish, i.e. fatty marine fish (omega-3 fatty acids) such as salmon, herring, mackerel.
    • High-fiber diet (whole grain products).
  • Observance of the following special dietary recommendations:
  • Selection of appropriate food based on the nutritional analysis
  • See also under “Therapy with micronutrients (vital substances)” – if necessary, taking a suitable dietary supplement (with basic minerals such as potassium citrate, magnesium citrate, calcium citrate).
  • Detailed information on nutritional medicine you will receive from us.

Sports Medicine

  • Light endurance training (cardio training).
  • Regular moderate physical training increases vagotonus (state of excitation or tension of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is predominantly influenced by the vagus nerve) and thus leads to a decrease in resting pulse rate. Vagotonus also inhibits AV node excitation conduction (negative dromotropic effect).
  • Preparation of a fitness or training plan with suitable sports disciplines based on a medical check (health check or athlete check).
  • Detailed information on sports medicine you will receive from us.

Psychotherapy