Provided by Nora Goldschlager, M.D.
Director, Coronary Care Unit, San Franciso General Hospital
Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

This list of questions is a good starting point for discussion with your doctor; however, it is not a comprehensive list.

1. Where is my pulse and how do I count it to tell my heart rate?
2. How do I know if my heart rate is too slow? How will I feel?
3. What are palpitations?
4. Which types of palpitations could be dangerous?  What should I look out for to tell if my palpitations are dangerous?
5. What is an arrhythmia?
6. What causes arrhythmia? Can I avoid certain things that could cause it?
7. Is family history important in arrhythmias?
8. Are arrhythmias the same thing as a heart attack?
9. What are some medicines I can treat this with? What are the side effects?  Is there any difference between women and men?  What about all these other drugs I am taking, are there any interactions?
10. What are defibrillators? How do they work? Is getting an implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) open heart surgery?  How do I know if I really need an ICD or a pacemaker?