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The EKG showed, basically, certain electrical pathways being blocked leading to irregularities in heart pace (in his case, rapid pulse). He has this monitor thing about the size of a pager, connected to electrodes on the chest, that he has to wear for up to 30 days. (If at that point he hasn't logged another event, they basically consider it a heisenbug or mandelbug or something, not reproducible enough to gain useful information, and take it away again. um. D'ya know this kind of condition can result in passing out and/or sudden death due to the heart simply stopping, under certain unfortunate circumstances?) If/whenever he experiences the symptoms again, he presses a button and it puts a flag in the data log. Once they collect some data they will decide whether to try treating with high doses of beta blockers (which he's already on for blood pressure), or some other drug, or whether to go with a pacemaker. So right now he's in the unhappy position of hoping it occurs again so he can log it, and yet hoping it doesn't because it's scary, although apparently he was fortunate/unusual in that it came and went shortly rather than lasting for some long period of time. The sooner caught the better, kind of thing, in any case.
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Date: Jun. 21st, 2011 11:39 am (UTC)From:I had WPW Syndrome, an arrhythmia, and there's a risk of sudden death with that - not a very high one, though. I would imagine that the same is true of most other heart issues, especially arrhythmias. You would have to ask the cardiologists about the risk involved with his particular problem, though. If they're trying to decide between treating it with drugs and a pacemaker, then my guess is that it isn't too terribly serious. My options were beta blockers and surgery, and I ended up doing both eventually. If it never happens again, they'll probably strengthen his beta blockers just to be safe.
Sorry I can't give you a better answer. :P
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Date: Jun. 21st, 2011 03:09 pm (UTC)From:I can see why it's annoying to the med-techs to have something that can't be reproduced, but... yeesh, it's not like this is a mere software bug!
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Date: Jun. 21st, 2011 06:06 pm (UTC)From:They mentioned possibility of sudden death here too (the heart simply stopping entirely, different than a heart attack). edit: Oh duh, I'd mentioned that in the OP. heh. This is early morning for me :P
I don't know how concerned they were about the possibility. But for now it's wait and see, of course.
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Date: Jun. 21st, 2011 06:24 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: Jun. 21st, 2011 07:38 pm (UTC)From: