What term describes an abnormal heart rate exceeding 100 beats per minute?

The term that describes an abnormal heart rate exceeding 100 beats per minute is tachycardia. This condition reflects an increased heart rate and can occur during periods of physical activity or in response to certain stimuli, but when the rate exceeds the normal upper limit, it is classified as tachycardia.

In clinical practice, tachycardia can be significant as it may indicate an underlying issue such as stress, inflammation, or cardiovascular complications. Monitoring and managing heart rate is crucial in various clinical situations, especially if the increased heart rate is symptomatic or persistent.

Bradycardia, on the other hand, refers to a heart rate that is less than 60 beats per minute and does not pertain to the situation described. Atrial flutter represents a specific type of arrhythmia characterized by rapid, but organized, electrical activity in the atria rather than just an elevated heart rate. Arrhythmia encompasses a variety of irregular heart rhythms, which can include both tachycardia and bradycardia, but it is a broader term and does not specifically refer to the elevated heart rate condition at hand. Thus, tachycardia is the precise term related to a heart rate that exceeds 100 beats per minute.