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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Premature atrial contraction causes

Introduction

Overview

Overview

Premature atrial contractions occur frequently in subjects with normal heart; however, patients with structural heart disease and coronary heart disease are at increased risk. Alcohol and coffee are considered potential precipitants of PACs. PAC’s may also be more common in other medical conditions such as chronic renal failure and chronic pulmonary disease.

Causes

Causes

Life Threatening Causes

Life-threatening causes include conditions which may result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated.

Common Causes

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular Congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, holiday heart syndrome, hypertensive heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, mitral regurgitation, mitral stenosis, mitral valve prolapse, myocardial infarction, myocarditis, valvular heart disease, ischemic heart disease
Chemical / poisoning No underlying causes
Dermatologic No underlying causes
Drug Side Effect Alpha interferon, aminophylline, amiodarone, amlodipine, amphetamines, cocaine, digoxin, diltiazem, dobutamine, ephedrine, 5-fluorouracil, isoproterenol, phenylephrine, salbutamol, sympathomimetic agents, tacrolimus, theophylline, thiazides, verapamil
Ear Nose Throat No underlying causes
Endocrine Cushing’s syndrome, diabetic ketoacidosis, metabolic syndrome, subclinical hyperthyroidism, thyrotoxicosis
Environmental No underlying causes
Gastroenterologic No underlying causes
Genetic No underlying causes
Hematologic No underlying causes
Iatrogenic Acute cardiac allograft rejection, cardiac stress test, cardiac transplantation, cardioversion, pacemaker malfunction, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts
Infectious Disease Fever, myocarditis
Musculoskeletal / Ortho No underlying causes
Neurologic Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Nutritional / Metabolic Dehydration, electrolyte disturbance, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia
Obstetric/Gynecologic New born
Oncologic No underlying causes
Opthalmologic No underlying causes
Overdose / Toxicity Amphetamines, cocaine, digoxin, cannabis
Psychiatric Anxiety disorders, bulimia nervosa, stress, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy
Pulmonary Chronic lung disease, COPD, hypoxia, pulmonary embolism, hypercapnia, respiratory acidosis, pneumonia, pulmonary hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea
Renal / Electrolyte Chronic renal failure
Rheum / Immune / Allergy Acute cardiac allograft rejection
Sexual No underlying causes
Trauma No underlying causes
Urologic No underlying causes
Dental No underlying causes
Miscellaneous Alcoholism, caffeine, chocolate, heavy exercise, fatigue, idiopathic

Causes in Alphabetical Order

References

References

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