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Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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The treatment of arrhythmias varies depending on the presence or absence of symptoms, how frequent the arrhythmia occurs, and the seriousness of any underlying heart condition. The majority of arrhythmias are either not treated or are treated with medications taken by mouth. Some arrhythmias must be treated emergently with electrocardioversion or the patient will die. For others, the treatment may range from vagal maneuvers (for example, the Valsalva, a maneuver of breath holding and bearing down) to medication to more advanced surgical procedures, such as an internal implanted pacemaker or cardiac defibrillator (ICD). Sometimes, no treatment is necessary because the arrhythmia resolves.

Except in life-threatening emergencies, a person should have a detailed discussion of the tests and treatment options with the health care professional to be clear about the tests and potential treatment options before any tests or surgery is done. This discussion should include the risks and benefits the patient may have if they choose to have or not have specific treatments or surgical procedures done.

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