Patient Care Technician (PCT) AAH Practice Exam

What is a potential complication of ventricular flutter?

1. Increased blood flow to the organs

2. Severe bradycardia

3. Development of ventricular fibrillation

4. Stable heart rhythm

The correct answer is: Development of ventricular fibrillation

Ventricular flutter is a rapid and chaotic rhythm that can lead to various complications. The correct choice highlights a significant risk associated with ventricular flutter: the development of ventricular fibrillation. This condition occurs when the heart's electrical activity becomes disorganized, resulting in ineffective quivering of the ventricles instead of a coordinated contraction. Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening emergency that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest, as it prevents the heart from pumping blood effectively to vital organs. The other options do not accurately represent the potential complications of ventricular flutter. Increased blood flow to the organs is unlikely, as the rapid and uncoordinated contractions of the heart do not allow for adequate perfusion. Severe bradycardia, or a significantly slowed heart rate, is also not a direct complication of ventricular flutter, which is characterized by rapid heart rates instead. Lastly, stating that there is a stable heart rhythm contradicts the nature of ventricular flutter, which is unstable and turbulent. Thus, the development of ventricular fibrillation represents a critical and severe outcome one must be vigilant about in cases of ventricular flutter.