GC: n
S: MAYO – http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome/home/ovc-20265961 (last access: 19 May 2017); Medscape – https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/159222-overview (last access: 8 June 2018).
N: 1. – Wolff (pn): Louis Wolff was an American cardiologist (1898 – 1972).
– Parkinson (pn): John Parkinson was an English cardiologist (1885 – 1976).
– White (pn): Dr Paul Dudley White was a scientist and was a pioneering specialist on the diseases of the heart and circulatory system (1886 – 1973).
– syndrome (n): “A number of symptoms occurring together,” 1540s, from medical Latin, from Greek syndrome “concurrence of symptoms, concourse of people,” from syndromos “place where several roads meet,” literally “a running together,from syn– “with” + dromos “a running, course”. Psychological sense is from 1955.
2. Symptoms: Sensation of rapid, fluttering or pounding heartbeats (palpitations), dizziness or lightheadedness, shortness of breath, fainting, fatigue, anxiety.
3. Causes: Normally, electrical signals follow a certain pathway through the heart. This helps the heart beat regularly. This prevents the heart from having extra beats or beats happening too soon.
In people with WPW syndrome, some of the heart’s electrical signals go down an extra pathway. This may cause a very rapid heart rate called supraventricular tachycardia.
Most people with WPW syndrome do not have any other heart problems. However, this condition has been linked with other cardiac conditions, such as Ebstein anomaly. A form of the condition also runs in families.
4. Possible Complications: Complications of surgery, heart failure, reduced blood pressure (caused by rapid heart rate), side effects of medicines.
The most severe form of a rapid heartbeat is ventricular fibrillation (VF), which may rapidly lead to shock or death. It can sometimes occur in people with WPW, particularly if they also have atrial fibrillation (AF), which is another type of abnormal heart rhythm. This type of rapid heartbeat requires emergency treatment and a procedure called cardioversion.
5. Cultural Interrelation: We could mention The Fix (House M.D., episode 21, season 7).
S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=syndrome
(last access: 17 May 2017); WNMDT – http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/1010.html http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/402.html (last access: 19 May 2017); FAG – https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19713482 (last access: 19 May 2017). 2. MAYO – http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome/symptoms-causes/dxc-20266082 (last access: 19 May 2017). 3 & 4. MEDLP – https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000151.htm (last access: 21 May 2017). 5. s7_e21/”>https://www.aceshowbiz.com/tv/episodeguide/house_m_ds7_e21/ (last access: 8 June 2018).
SYN: preexcitation syndrome
S: MEDICALDICT – http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Wolff-Parkinson-White+syndrome (last access: 21 May 2017)
CR: syndrome
