Keywords
Etiology
HNABD
Niamey
Niger
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction :
Palpitations are a common symptom in cardiology practice. They can result from benign arrhythmias or, more rarely, from serious cardiac conditions. Our objective was to contribute to a better understanding of this symptom in the cardiology department of the Amirou Boubacar Diallo National Hospital (HNABD) in Niamey.
Patients and methods :
This was a retrospective descriptive study conducted over a period of nineteen (19) months, focusing on patients who presented to the department or were hospitalized for palpitations.
Results :
Ninety-seven patients were included, with a hospital incidence of 4.4% (n=52). The incidence of palpitations in outpatient consultations was 3.1% (n=45). The mean age of the patients was 56.5 ± 19.23 years, with a range of 19 to 100 years. The male-to-female ratio was 0.37. Patients with underlying heart disease and hypertension were the most represented, with respective frequencies of 36.9% (n=31) and 35.7% (n=30). More than half of the patients, 51.2% (n=43), reported rapid and irregular palpitations, with exertion being a trigger in 41.7% (n=35) of patients. Dyspnea was the symptom most frequently associated with palpitations (60.7%) (n=51). Arrhythmias were the predominant etiology, found in 64.3% (n=54) of cases; beta-blockers were the most commonly used medication for heart rate control, in 83.3% (n=45 of 54) cases.
Conclusion :
Palpitations were mainly related to arrhythmias, predominantly atrial fibrillation, requiring a rigorous diagnostic approach and appropriate management.
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Copyright (c) 2026 B Dodo, K Souley, Y Oumarou, M Mossi, H Saley, M Arzika, S Moustapha, A Maliki, H Idrissa, S Brah, I Touré