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| __NOTOC__
| | #Redirect [[Bigeminal rhythm]] |
| {{SI}}
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| {{CMG}}
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| {{SK}} Bigeminy, trigeminy
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| ==Overview==
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| '''Bigeminy''' (Latin: Bi-Two Gemini-twins) is a descriptor for a [[heart]] [[cardiac arrhythmia|arrhythmia]] in which abnormal heart beats occur every other concurrent beat. A typical example is with bigeminal premature ventricular beats, also known as a [[premature ventricular contraction|premature ventricular contractions/complexes]] (PVC). Following the PVC there is a pause and then the normal beat returns - only to be followed by another PVC. The continuation of this pairing of beats is an example of bigeminy.
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| These descriptors can increase depending on the number of beats involved in the abnormal system. If every other beat is abnormal, you can describe it as bigeminal. If every third beat is aberrant, it is trigeminal; every fourth would be quadrigeminal. Typically, if every fifth or more beat is abnormal, the aberrant beat would be termed occasional.
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| Bigeminy is contrasted with '''couplets''', which are paired abnormal beats. If these concurrent beats number three, they are called '''triplets''' and are considered as a brief run of ''non-sustained [[Tachycardia|Ventricular tachycardia]]'' or NS-VT.
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| PVC's are not the only aberrant beat that makes use of these adjectives; others are [[premature atrial contraction|premature atrial contractions]], [[parasystole]], and escape complexes.
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| ==Diagnosis==
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| ===Electrocardiogram===
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| EKG findings for the types of aberrant rhythms are described below;
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| * Bigeminal premature ventricular contractions = Normal, PVC, Normal, PVC...
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| * Trigeminal premature atrial contractions = Normal, Normal, PAC, Normal, Normal, PAC...
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| * Quadrageminal premature ventricular contractions = Normal, Normal, Normal, PVC; Normal, Normal, Normal, PVC...
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| * Occasional escape complexes: Normal, Normal, Normal, Normal, Pause, Escape...
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| *Bigeminal Couplets: Normal, Normal, PVC, PVC, Normal, Normal, PVC, PVC...
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| *NS-VT: Normal, Normal, PVC, PVC, PVC, PVC, Normal, Normal, PVC...
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| ===EKG Examples===
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| ----
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| Shown below is an EKG depicting atrial bigeminy. The EKG shows a regularly irregular rhythm at a rate of about 75/minute. There are two [[P wave]] morphologies best seen in [[Electrocardiogram#Precordial|lead V1]].
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| [[File:Bigeminy1.jpg|center|500px]]
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| Copyleft image obtained courtesy of ECGpedia,http://en.ecgpedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
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| ----
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| Shown below is an EKG depicting bigeminy. The pacemaker is an atrial pacer set at 30/min. Note the marker channel documenting atrial pacing and then sensing of the [[QRS]] in the [[refractory period]] of the pacemaker. The paced atrial beats seem to stimulate a normal sinus beat and hence create the bigeminal rhythm.
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| [[File:Bigeminy2.jpg|center|500px]]
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| Copyleft image obtained courtesy of ECGpedia,http://en.ecgpedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
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| ----
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist|2}}
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| {{WikiDoc Help Menu}}
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| {{WikiDoc Sources}}
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| [[Category:Cardiology]]
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| [[Category:Electrophysiology]]
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