Palpitations
Describe the rhythm-related symptoms and identify features needing urgent assessment.
Clinical learning outcomes: Awaiting named clinical review.
What you should learn
- Take a history of onset, duration, associated symptoms and relevant medicines.
- Discuss an ECG and recognise when instability needs immediate help.
Recognise and explain
- A normal ECG between episodes does not establish the cause; not all palpitations are atrial fibrillation.
On your placement
Agree the activity and supervision with the clinical team. For patient-facing learning, seek permission and respect the patient’s comfort and care needs.
- Take a focused history including syncope, exertion and family history.
- Assess pulse and review an ECG with a clinician.
- Discuss monitoring, referral and advice if symptoms recur.
Start here
MLA: cardiovascular history
Take a cardiovascular history that clarifies the rhythm symptoms, associated symptoms and risk.
Current guidance
NICE NG196: atrial fibrillation
Review assessment and ECG diagnosis when AF is suspected; this guideline does not cover every cause of palpitations.
NICE: palpitations accompanied by a blackout
Use the over-16 blackout assessment guidance when palpitations are accompanied by transient loss of consciousness.
On your next shift
Ask what information was still missing when the symptoms had stopped.
Go deeper
Optional material. Advanced resources extend discussion; they do not define independent student practice. Check the publication date and compare clinical advice with current guidance.
RCUK adult advanced life support 2025
Optional background on the resuscitation team’s decisions, reversible causes and advanced treatment; these are not independent student tasks.
How this relates to GMC graduate outcomes and the MLA
These are St Emlyn’s learning connections, not a claim that this page covers every national requirement.
Presentations and conditions: Palpitations.
Clinical and professional capabilities: Assessment and clinical reasoning; Recognising limits and seeking help.
Practical skills: Cardiovascular examination; ECG recording.
St Emlyn’s interpretation of relevant GMC graduate outcomes and MLA themes; these are summary labels, not official topic codes or a complete curriculum.
Explore the student placement programme
Student practice and graduate expectations
About this resource and its review
A St Emlyn’s guide to learning Emergency Medicine during undergraduate placements. It is not an official medical-school or GMC curriculum. Your medical school’s curriculum and assessment requirements take precedence.
National foundations: GMC Outcomes for Graduates, the practical-skills supplement and the MLA content map applying from September 2026.
Framework checked: 8 October 2026. This is a source check, not clinical sign-off.
Clinical learning outcomes: awaiting named clinical review.
The four learning routes are St Emlyn’s groupings. The six interconnected MLA domains remain part of the official content map.