Premature atrial contraction
MEDICAL CONDITION
Atrial premature complexes; Premature atrial contractions; Supraventricular extrasystole; Skipped heart beat; SVES; Atrial premature contraction; Supraventricular extra systole; Skipped beat; Atrial premature beat; Atrial premature beats
Premature atrial contractions (PACs), also known as atrial premature complexes (APC) or atrial premature beats (APB), are a common cardiac dysrhythmia characterized by premature heartbeats originating in the atria. While the sinoatrial node typically regulates the heartbeat during normal sinus rhythm, PACs occur when another region of the atria depolarizes before the sinoatrial node and thus triggers a premature heartbeat, in contrast to escape beats, in which the normal sinoatrial node fails, leaving a non-nodal pacemaker to initiate a late beat.