Patient Care Technician (PCT) AAH Practice Exam

What is the medical term for a rapid heart rate?

1. Bradycardia

2. Tachycardia

3. Arrhythmia

4. Palpitations

The correct answer is: Tachycardia

The medical term for a rapid heart rate is tachycardia. This condition is defined as a heart rate that exceeds the normal resting rate, typically above 100 beats per minute in adults. Tachycardia can occur due to various factors, including physical exercise, emotional stress, or underlying medical conditions such as fever or anemia. Understanding this term is crucial for patient care technicians, as recognizing and interpreting changes in heart rate can help in assessing a patient's cardiovascular health and in determining appropriate interventions. Bradycardia, on the other hand, refers to a slower than normal heart rate, usually defined as fewer than 60 beats per minute. Arrhythmia is a general term that encompasses any irregularity or abnormality in the heart's rhythm, which can include both tachycardia and bradycardia. Palpitations are sensations that the heart is beating too quickly, irregularly, or forcefully, but do not specifically denote an actual rapid heart rate. Each of these terms plays a role in the overall understanding of cardiac conditions, but tachycardia specifically denotes the increased heart rate.