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Premature atrial contraction
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Premature atrial contractions (PACs) are a type of premature heart beat or irregular heart beat or arrhythmia which start in the upper two chambers of the heart, or atria. These aren't serious, and they frequently go away on their own.
In many cases doctors are unable to determine a cause. Some cells in the heart start to fire or go off before the normal heart beat is supposed to occur. These can be cells that are damaged or sick from a virus, or from some other cause that a doctor can't determine. Sometimes people who have them feel a skipped beat. In many cases, the person feels nothing.
Usually a doctor will do or order an EKG. Without an EKG, it is impossible to determine the existence of PACs. Once proven, the person may be referred to a cardiologist for further testing to determine whether the heart is damaged or deteriorated.