[Disorders of cardiac rhythm in chronic alcoholics]

The friquency and type of cardiac rhythm and conduction disturbances were studied in 200 patients with chronic alcoholism. Attention was payed to the character and duration of dipsomania. Patients with a long abuse period were shown to have auricular fibrillation in 10 per cent of the cases. Patients with chronic alcoholism and particularly with rhythm disturbances demonstrated the decrease of potassium concentration in blood serum.