Premature ventricular contraction pathophysiology

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Mugilan Poongkunran M.B.B.S [2]

Overview

Premature ventricular contraction is a relatively common event where the heartbeat is initiated by Purkinje fibres in the ventricles rather than by the sinoatrial node, the normal heartbeat initiator.

Pathophysiology

• In a normal heartbeat, the ventricles contract after the atria have helped to fill them by contracting, in this way the ventricles can pump a maximized amount of blood both to the lungs and to the rest of the body. In a PVC, the ventricles contract first and before the atria have optimally filled the ventricles with blood, which means that circulation is inefficient.
• The electrical events of the heart detected by the electrocardiogram allow a PVC to be easily distinguished from a normal heart beat. A PVC may be perceived as a skipped beat.