Medtronic Lawsuit Attorneys, Williams Kherkher

Diagnosing Arrhythmias

An arrhythmia is a problem with the heart’s rhythm. The heart either beats too quickly or too slowly. In order for an arrhythmia to be documented, it must be recorded on an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG).

An EKG is the standard clinical tool that doctors used to diagnose an arrhythmia. It records the relative timing of atrial and ventricular electrical events. An EKG can be used to measure how long it takes for impulses to travel through the atria, upper chambers of the heart; the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart; and the AV conduction system.

Unfortunately and frequently, someone who complains of symptoms that go with an arrhythmia might have an EKG that appears to be normal. This is because arrhythmias are fleeting. They do not occur all of the time, but rather happen once in a while. Electrocardiographic techniques are passive and require an arrhythmia to occur during the EKG in order to detect the arrhythmia.

During an EKG, small patches or stickers called electrodes are placed on various, strategic parts of the body. Patches are placed on both arms, both legs, and across the chest. These patches do not hurt the person undergoing the test. With various combinations of the electrodes, tracings of the heart’s electrical activity can be made and permanently recorded and analyzed.

Contact a Medtronic Lawyer

If you have been diagnosed with an arrhythmia and given a Medtronic ICD with SprintFidelis leads to control the problem, contact the Medtronic lawsuit attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 800-761-3187 to schedule your initial consultation.