Premature atrial contractions (PACs) are a common cardiac dysrhythmia characterized by premature
heartbeats originating in the atria. While the SA node (sinoatrial node) typically paces the heart
during normal sinus rhythm. PACs occur when a region of the atria depolarizes before the
SA node can send it's signal, and thus triggers a premature heartbeat. The exact cause of PACs is unclear. While
several predisposing conditions exist, PACs commonly occur in healthy young and elderly people without
heart disease, and by themselves are not considered abnormal. PACs are often completely
asymptomatic and may simply be noted for interpretation on cardiac strips or with Holter monitoring.
Occasionally they can be perceived as a skipped beat or a jolt in the chest. In most cases no treatment
is needed for PACs, although medications such as beta blockers can reduce the frequency of symptomatic PACs.
In otherwise healthy patients, occasional PACs are common and do not indicate any particular health risk.
Sometimes in patients with other underlying structural heart problems, frequent PACs can trigger a more serious
arrhythmia such as atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation.
See different examples of PVCs below
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