Recognition and Treatment of Ectopic Beats

Summary The recognition of ectopic beats is a necessary skill of the anesthesiologist. The significance of these beats during the perioperative period depends on the arrhythmia history of the patient, the presence or absence of organic heart disease, the operative setting with mechanical or extra-cardiac etiologies involved, and the frequency and repetitiveness of the ectopic beats. All these and other considerations are included in the decision to observe benign ectopic beats in a healthy patient or to aggressively treat more frequent ectopic beats in a patient with organic heart disease.