Posted by I created a song about Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a congenital heart defect. I used the instrumentals and flow of the song Boy’s a liar Pt. 2 by PinkPantheress ft. Ice Spice. (I am not a talented singer or rapper in anyway, so I apologize for this monstrosity.)
Link to original song (Warning: explicit lyrics and messages) : https://youtu.be/oftolPu9qp4
Lyrics:
Heart’s a liar pt. 2 (Parody of Boy’s a liar Pt. 2 by PinkPantheress ft. Ice Spice)
Nolan Beeler
–
Take a look inside your heart, is it beating rapidly?
Are you feeling dizzy or lightheaded, finding it hard to breathe?
Among other things these are symptoms of a heart defect.
It could be Wolff-Parkinson-White, you might wanna get checked.
It’s congenital and causes tachycardia,
Due to an extra electrical pathway yuh.
Bundles of Kent are what conduct the extra signal,
Causing a pre-excitation of the ventricle.
–
Wolff-Parkison-White, Wolff-Parkinson-White
Some gene that ain’t right, gotta go get diagnosed.
Wolff-Parkinson-White, Wolff-Parkison-White
Get an ECG, see that delta wave, it shows.
–
Heart rate of of of, over a hun hun hun.
What do you do do do?, What can be done done done?
Well lemme tell yuh yuh, couple options -tions -tions.
There’s some drugs drugs drugs, cardioversion -sion.
–
But if those aint good enough, heart still go duh duh duh,
Doing those things that it shouldn’t have.
How bout radiofrequency, an ablation to stop that b.
That signal’s a bum to me. (grrah)
Doctor thread you a cath,
Up through your thigh and cure it with a zap, like.
Success is a fact,
Well 95 percent should work just like that. (damn)
But if your wallet too thin
Valsalva maneuvers just might be a win.
Stop that tachy with a quick neck massage,
Something that you can do in your garage.
What about complications, boo-hoo,
Well luckily there’s only a few.
Reduced blood pressure could get to you,
Drug side effects, heart failure too. (grrah)
–
Wolff-Parkison-White, Wolff-Parkinson-White
Rare as winter sunlight, only 1 in a thousand.
Wolff-Parkison-White, Wolff-Parkinson-White
Sometimes runs in families, but all ages could be canned.
–
Heart rate of of of, over a hun hun hun.
What do you do do do? What can be done done done?
Well know you know-ow-ow, I gotta go -go go.
That’s eno-o-ough, peace out bruh-uh-uh!
–
Write-up:
I chose to do my STEAM project on Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome because one of my good friends had it when she was younger and recently got an ablation surgery to correct it permanently. She has always had heart issues and would often experience tachycardia, so I was always intrigued to know what was going on with her heart. I did a song just because I thought it would be fun and I could teach others about this fairly rare disorder in a somewhat palatable way The objective that covered this was “Explain how the heart translates an electrical signal to a contraction”, as this condition affects how the contractions are made in the heart with its electrical system. The signal for a contraction usually starts in the SA node in the right atrium, and sends the signal throughout both atria to start a contraction. Once the atria contract, there is a quick pause when the signal goes through the AV node, to allow the blood in the atrium to fully empty into the ventricle. The signal then moves through the bundle of HIS and purkinje fibers so both ventricles can contract, and the process is repeated. The only way the signal can get to the ventricles is through the AV node, but in hearts affected by WPW pattern, there is another path that the signal can take. It is composed of cardiac tissue called the Bundle of Kent, and is Type A pre-excitation of the ventricle if on the left side of the heart, and Type-B if on the right. On an ECG WPW can be identified by a short PR interval, a delta wave, a long QRS complex, and an inverse T wave. Those who just experience the pattern may never notice symptoms, and won’t be diagnosed with WPW Syndrome. But the pattern can make certain arrhythmias worse, in which it is diagnosed as WPW Syndrome. If the WPW pattern causes dangerous arrhythmias and/or worsens other issues, the patient will be treated. Diagnosis is typically done by performing a stress test such as running or walking on a treadmill while doctors read an ECG or collect data through a Holter monitor. Antiarrhythmic drugs such as procainamide or amiodarone may be used to prevent a rapid heartbeat. Another type of treatment is electrical cardioversion, which is when the doctors will shock the heart to attempt to set the pattern back to normal if possible. These are not permanent, but radiofrequency catheter ablation usually is. This is a procedure that uses a catheter that is inserted from the groin to cauterize or freeze the accessory pathway, forcing the signal to go back through the AV node like a normal heart. This works 85-95% of the time, and fixes the patient’s heart permanently. The defect is congenital, meaning it cannot be prevented, but the symptoms can be lessened by living a healthy lifestyle. This includes avoiding things like smoking, unhealthy food choices, and high cholesterol, while staying active through physical exercise. I was glad to have touched on the topic of the electrical system of the heart in class, as it sparked my interest in this condition.
References:
[Osmosis From Elsevier]. (2016, May 26). Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) – causes, symptoms & pathology [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MDRKId2d0Q&t=99s
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome: Medlineplus genetics. MedlinePlus. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome/
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. Penn Medicine. (2022, January 9). Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome#:~:text=Wolff%2DParkinson%2DWhite%20(WPW,problems%20in%20infants%20and%20children.Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome | Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2021, August 8). Retrieved April 19, 2023, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome
The Unit Objective that Nolan’s project covered is “Explain how the heart translates an electrical signal to a contraction.” For his project, he wrote a song about Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, a congenital heart defect that disrupts the electrical pathways in the heart. In regular hearts, the sinoatrial node signals to the atria to begin a contraction. The signal goes through the atrioventricular node, and then through the purkinje fibers and bundle of HIS to contract the ventricles. Hearts afflicted with Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, however, involve a different electrical pathway for heart contraction. This electrical signal involves the bundle of Kent, and causes pre-excitation of the ventricles. It is type A if on the left side of the heart, and type B if on the right side of the heart. WPW may not be particularly dangerous on its own, but it can make other arrhythmias worse and lead to tachycardia. Doctors can diagnose this condition through a cardiovascular stress test and an ECG, which displays a short PR interval, long QRS complex, a delta wave, and an inverse T wave. Symptoms may be managed through antiarrhythmic drugs. The condition can be treated temporarily with electrical cardioversion to shock the heartbeat back on track, or permanently with radiofrequency catheter ablation to freeze the improper electrical pathway. Being congenital, WPW cannot be prevented, though it can be lessened through staying active, eating well, and avoiding smoking. I enjoyed listening to this project, and I’m excited to witness Nolan’s musical career unfold. Good job Nolan!