Definition of Arrhythmia

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Arrhythmia: An abnormal heart rhythm.

In an arrhythmia the heartbeats may be too slow, too rapid, too irregular, or too early. Rapid arrhythmias (greater than 100 beats per minute) are called tachycardias. Slow arrhythmias (slower than 60 beats per minute) are called bradycardias. Irregular heart rhythms are called fibrillations (as in atrial fibrillation and ventricular fibrillation). When a single heartbeat occurs earlier than normal, it is called a premature contraction.

The term arrhythmia comes from the Greek a-, loss + rhythmos, rhythm = loss of rhythm.