What are some possible causes for ECG monitor to show very rapid changes in heart rate only to stabilize soon?

Question

Seizure? MI? TIA? CVA? Do these things cause this? For example, ECG HR is 68 and rapidly goes down to 58 then 48 and wobbles back and forth until it regains ground in the 60's. If seizure, then signs of seizure are present, correct? I'm thinking TIA if no signs of seizure? Or can all this be part of a normal resetting?

Answer 1

Before we start devising a differential, we'd really need to have a look at the 12-lead to figure out what's going on.  Without the benefit of your patient chart I have no way of knowing what underlying factors may have contributed to the erratic HR on the ECG.  Rather than offer you an exhaustive list of differentials, I recommend you speak to your physician about this.

I strongly discourage you from considerting whether this necessarily is patholic, and in terms of speculating about TIA, seizure and so forth is a bit difficult in the absence of more data.

There is a normal tendency for variablility in HR, and frankly it would be speculative on my part to try to figure out why you dip into the high 40s without knowing your age and other critical factors.