Which arrhythmia is most common in pregnancy?

Which arrhythmia is most common in pregnancy?

• A. Atrial Fibrillation
• B. Ventricular Tachycardia
• C. SVT
• D. Premature Atrial Contraction

Answer: (C)

During pregnancy, the heart undergoes changes such as increased blood volume, higher resting heart rate, and enhanced AV nodal conduction. These shifts make reentrant tachyarrhythmias more likely, and the most frequent sustainable rhythm seen in pregnant patients is supraventricular tachycardia. SVT typically presents as a sudden episode of rapid, regular heartbeats with a narrow QRS complex and usually occurs even in the absence of structural heart disease, making it more common than other serious arrhythmias in this setting. Atrial fibrillation is less common in pregnancy unless there’s underlying heart disease or other risk factors; ventricular tachycardia is rare without structural heart issues; and premature atrial contractions are common but are usually benign and not a sustained arrhythmia. Hence, SVT is the rhythm most commonly encountered.

During pregnancy, the heart undergoes changes such as increased blood volume, higher resting heart rate, and enhanced AV nodal conduction. These shifts make reentrant tachyarrhythmias more likely, and the most frequent sustainable rhythm seen in pregnant patients is supraventricular tachycardia. SVT typically presents as a sudden episode of rapid, regular heartbeats with a narrow QRS complex and usually occurs even in the absence of structural heart disease, making it more common than other serious arrhythmias in this setting.

Atrial fibrillation is less common in pregnancy unless there’s underlying heart disease or other risk factors; ventricular tachycardia is rare without structural heart issues; and premature atrial contractions are common but are usually benign and not a sustained arrhythmia. Hence, SVT is the rhythm most commonly encountered.