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Occurrence of arrhythmias in general practice

P Zwietering1, A Knottnerus, T Gorgels

  • 1Department of General Practice, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care
|December 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Arrhythmias were detected in 32% of patients presenting with possible cardiac symptoms in general practice. Clinically relevant arrhythmias requiring medical attention were found in 31% of these cases.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • General Practice
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Arrhythmias are common cardiac conditions that can present with various symptoms.
  • Early detection and diagnosis in general practice are crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and patterns of arrhythmias in patients suspected of having cardiac rhythm disturbances.
  • To aid general practitioners in diagnosing arrhythmias within primary care settings.

Main Methods:

  • A transtelephonic electrocardiogram (ECG) was utilized for patients consulting general practitioners with arrhythmia-suggestive symptoms.
  • Data were collected from 20 Dutch general practices between 1989 and 1991, involving 868 patients.

Main Results:

  • Electrocardiogram (ECG) confirmed arrhythmias in 32% of the studied patients.
  • A significant proportion (31%) of detected arrhythmias were clinically relevant, necessitating medical intervention.
  • The incidence of arrhythmias was calculated at 2.6 per 1000 patients, with a strong correlation to increasing age, male gender, and hemodynamic imbalance symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Clinically significant arrhythmias are frequently identified in general practice among patients with suggestive symptoms.
  • The findings support the use of ECG in primary care for diagnosing arrhythmias and provide valuable distribution data for general practitioners' diagnostic strategies.
Abstract

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