heart and blood vessel disorders
Ventricular Premature Beats
Introduction
A ventricular premature beat is an extra heartbeat resulting from abnormal electrical activation originating in the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart) before a normal heartbeat would occur. The main symptom is a perception of a skipped heartbeat. Electrocardiography is used to make the diagnosis. Avoiding things that trigger these beats, such as stress,caffeine, and alcohol, is usually sufficient treatment. (See also Overview of Abnormal Heart Rhythms .) The electrical current that begins each heartbeat originates in the heart’s pacemaker (called the sinus node or sinoatrial node), located in the top of the upper right heart chamber (right atrium). However, a heartbeat is sometimes triggered from one of the lower chambers of the heart, the ventricles. . Other causes include Overview of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) (especially during or shortly after a 