Ventricular arrhythmia Premature ventricular contraction SNOMEDCT_US:17338001 SNOMEDCT_US:251175005 A premature ventricular contraction (PVC) may be perceived as a skipped beat or as palpitations. Although they may cause symptoms such as palpitations or dizziness, incidental PVCs are generally considered benign. Highly frequent PVCs, however, can have detrimental effects on the left ventricular function over time and may cause or worsen heart failure. During a PVC, the heartbeat is initiated by the Purkinje fibers rather than the SA node. Given that a PVC occurs before a regular heartbeat, there is a pause before the next regular heartbeat. PVCs can occur in isolation or in repeated patterns. Two consecutive PVCs are termed doublets while three consecutive PVCs are named triplets. It is important to note that three or more consecutive PVCs are classified as ventricular tachycardia. HP:0034041 Premature ventricular contractions (PVC) or ventricular extrasystoles are premature contractions of the heart that arise in response to an impulse in the ventricles rather than the normal impulse from the sinoatrial (SA) node. Ventricular premature beat Ventricular extrasystoles Missed heartbeat Premature ventricular beat Skipped heartbeat Premature ventricular contractions Ventricular ectopics Extra heart beat HP:0006682 HP:0006678 UMLS:C0151636