Dropped beat

The Dropped beat - A type of cardiac arrhythmia (see arrhythmia, cardiac) characterized by the absence of a single ventricular contraction. The next heartbeat often comes slightly early, and is more forceful than usual; this beat is often the one that is noticed, rather than the dropped one.

Dropped beat is very common and may be caused by alcohol, caffeine, and some medications. Single, infrequent dropped beats are very unlikely to be due to heart disease.