[Hemodynamic study of a rapid idioventricular rhythm. Apropos of a case]

The rapid idioventricular rhythm (RIVR) seen most frequently during the acute phase of myocardial infarction is considered to be a benign arrhythmia which has only a moderate haemodynamic effect on the healthy heart. In a patient with chronic bronchitis and emphysema and ischaemic heart disease, haemodynamic studies during an episode of poorly tolerated RIVR showed a 22 per cent decrease in cardiac output secondary to a decrease in stroke volume. The authors emphasise the need for the correction of factors capable of increasing myocardial oxygen debt rather than the use of anti-arrhythmic agents.