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Sick sinus syndrome

Alternative Names: Bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome; Sinus node dysfunction Symptoms: Fainting or near-fainting Dizziness or light-headedness Confusion, mental staus changes Sensation of feeling heart beat (palpitations) Chest pain or angina Shortness of breath Fatigue Usually, no symptoms are present. Signs and tests: Text Continues Below The symptoms are non-specific and may mimic other disorders. The patient's heart rate may be very slow at any time or after termination of an episode of tachycardia. Blood pressure may be normal or low. Sick sinus syndrome may cause symptoms of heart failure to occur or worsen. The diagnosis of sick sinus syndrome includes a history of symptoms that occur only during episodes of arrhythmia. However, this correlation often is difficult to prove. An ECG may show various arrhythmias characteristic of sick sinus syndrome. Exercise testing has not proven particularly effective as a screening tool. Holter monitoring is a sensitive tool to diagnose sick sinus syndrome because of the episodic nature of the disorder. Extreme slowing of the heart rate and prolonged pauses may be seen during Holter monitoring along with episodes of non-sustained atrial tachycardias. An EPS (intracardiac electrophysiology study) is a very specific test for this disorder, although it is often unable to confirm the diagnosis.

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