Frederick's syndrome got its name in honor of the Belgian physiologist, who defined it as a combination of complete transverse (atrioventricular) blockade and atrial fibrillation, in other cases - atrial flutter. This article discusses Frederick's syndrome: clinic, diagnosis, treatment of the disease.
Mechanism of the syndrome
The mechanisms of Frederick's syndrome are as follows: from the atria to the ventricles, the conduction of impulses completely stops; disorderly, chaotic, often repetitive excitation and contraction of some groups of atrial muscle fibers. The ventricles are excited via a pacemaker located at the atrioventricular junction or in the conduction system.
Causes of Frederick's Syndrome
This disease can occur after severe organic lesions in the heart, which are most often accompanied by processes of inflammation, sclerotia or degeneration in the myocardium. Such processes include, for example, ischemic heart disease, mainly in a chronic form, acute heart attackmyocardial infarction, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, angina and others. With such diseases, sclerotic processes develop in the heart muscle, as a result of which connective tissue grows unnecessarily, which replaces normal cells that are familiar to the body and are capable of conducting electrical impulses. Therefore, conduction is disturbed and blockade occurs.
What does a cardiogram show
An electrocardiogram is usually ordered to confirm a patient with Frederick's syndrome. Moreover, it is better to carry out the study during the day in order to assess the heart rate at different times and collect more complete information.
If there is a disease on the ECG, waves of atrial fibrillation or flutter are recorded, while a he althy person should have teeth. The ventricular rhythm becomes nodal or idioventricular, and generally non-sinus ectopic.
R-R intervals are constant and have a regular rhythm. The number of contractions of the ventricles is recorded in an amount not exceeding 50-60 times per minute. The ventricular complexes are often dilated and deformed.
Clinical manifestations and symptoms
Only with the help of an electrocardiogram can one accurately confirm Frederick's syndrome in a patient. The clinic that accompanies it in everyday life, which a person should pay attention to, is a rare, but correct pulse with a heart rate of at least 30 and not more than 60 times per minute. Heart rate drops because pumping ability is reducedhearts. In turn, the above leads to oxygen starvation of the brain.
Patients mostly complain of weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath, deterioration of well-being even after a little physical activity. If a person does not pay attention to Frederick's syndrome, the symptoms worsen, cardiac arrests lasting 5-7 seconds may appear. In addition, loss of consciousness due to ventricular tachycardia is possible.
Treatment
Increasingly, doctors agree that the only correct solution for the treatment of Frederick's syndrome is the implantation of an artificial pacemaker. That is, an electrode is inserted into the ventricle, which gives impulses and artificially causes myocardial contraction.
The frequency of contractions is set in advance depending on the patient's condition and physical activity.
In addition to pacing, anticholinergics are also used. These are special substances, for example, atropine. However, recently their use has been abandoned due to many side effects, including a negative effect on the patient's psyche, for example, the development of atropine psychosis.
In general, treatment depends on hemodynamic stability and the causes of atrioventricular block.
Thus, Frederick's syndrome is a rather severe lesion of the heart muscle, characterized by complete transverse blockade in combination with atrial fibrillation.
However, now with the right and timelyonce diagnosed, this phenomenon is treatable, after which the patient can return to normal and lead a normal lifestyle.
