Q. about arrhythmias

[El Nino]

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Hi I am a high school student, and I am currently writing a cover letter for an internship. In the letter I am talking about my heart disorder and how it inspired me to become a doctor. One of the questions I have to answer is why am I interested in their program .. blah .. blah .. ok after the intro I lead into I am interested in attending you program because through this wonderful opportunity I will be given the chance to explore the human heart and the causes of arrhythmias.

I have supraventricular tachycardia, I was diagnosed a few minutes after birth. When I was 13 I received a electrophysiology study and ablation. I was wondering do doctors know what causes arrhythmias? Or, are doctors looking for answers to why arrhythmias occur in healthy people?

Sorry, if this is in the wrong section may need to be in the cardiology section......

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Depends on the arrhythmia. Lots of Long QT syndromes result from well described electrolyte channel abnormalities. Others may result from inborn problems in the heart like faulty pacemaker cells or abnormal growth of pathways (majority of SVT's are this type, I think). Others are a secondary effect of insults to the heart like congestive failure or heart attacks.