Arrhythmias in cardiac catheterization laboratories

Several kinds of arrhythmias, such as ventricular arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, bradycardias and conduction disturbances can occur in cardiac catheterization laboratories. The patients' characteristics, the type of procedure, the features of the target vessel and the type of lesion play important roles in the occurrence of arrhythmia. A majority of the arrhythmias tend to revert spontaneously, but special treatment must be given promptly when necessary. In this paper, we will review the pathophysiology, clinical importance and treatment strategies for arrhythmias that occurred during diagnostic cardiac catheterization and PCI in cardiac catheterization laboratories.