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Bradycardia vs. Tachycardia
- Bradycardia is more concerning than tachycardia because a slow heart rate directly lowers cardiac output, often leading to shock.
- Tachycardia, unless extremely high, is less likely to cause shock because the increased rate can compensate for reduced stroke volume.
Assessing Bradycardia
- When assessing bradycardia, consider three key questions: Are there signs of infection/inflammation, medications/toxins, or is the patient generally unfit?
- Josh Farkas simplifies the differential diagnosis by focusing on conduction blocks, sinus bradycardia, intoxications, metabolic issues, neurologic events, inferior MI, and aging sinus node.
Common Causes of Bradycardia
- Prioritize checking medications and electrolytes first, as these are common causes of bradycardia and are often easily corrected.
- Consider inferior MI, ischemia, and increased intracranial pressure, especially in neuro patients.