Pre-Tachyarrhythmia Practice Exam

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During tachyarrhythmias, how are cardiac output and filling time affected?

Ventricular filling time decreases as rate increases

Atrial contribution becomes negligible only at very high rates

The heart doesn't have time to fill and squeeze after the optimal rate point

At faster heart rates, diastolic filling time shrinks, so ventricular preload and stroke volume drop. Cardiac output (rate × stroke volume) can rise with rate only up to a point; beyond an optimal rate, the reduced filling and shortened ejection time prevent effective contraction, so the heart doesn’t have time to fill and squeeze. This is why cardiac output does not increase indefinitely with rate—the flow is limited by insufficient filling time.

Cardiac output increases with rate indefinitely