My Grandfather

[Jena32]

My grandfather has a laundry list of health issues. He had been diagnosed with Dementia, Parkinsons, emphazema, diabetes, Post op prostate cancer and has just receved a sint in his coradid artery restoreing the blood flow to about 47%. Through out al of this he has had a few larger strokes as well as many TIAs. my question is that they said that he now has an irregular heartrate. He has gone into V-tech several times in the last two days and has come out of it quickly. What exactly is V-tech? what happens to the body when you go into V-tech and what are the consiquences of this?

[Jena32]

Thank you for your help! Aparantly the cardiologist feels the his frequent episodes of V-tach are just the present condition of his heart and that since he is not a surgical cantidate to recieve a pacemaker and difibulator implant that he should now go in Rehab to build up his strength. To me that sounds like we should begin thinking about hospice after reading the definition of V-tach. Do you feel that this is the Dr's way of letting nature happen, or do people live like that often??

[Darcy Green Conaway, MD]

V Tach is short for "ventricular tachycardia" and refers to a heart rhythm that is initiated in the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart, rather than the normal sinus node. It can be life threatening. If the VTach is fast often, there is not enough blood flow coming out of the heart to adequately supply the brain-- people can pass out or even die if it lasts. I'm sorry to hear this about your grandfather.