Bigeminy is a medical term used to describe an arrhythmia in which the heart beats in a pattern of every other beat. There are several synonyms for this term, including alternans, alternating pulse, and coupled beats. Another synonym for bigeminy is ectopic beats, which refers to abnormal heartbeats that occur outside of the normal rhythm. Premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs, are another type of ectopic beat that can occur in bigeminy. Other related terms include trigeminy, which refers to a heart beat pattern of every third beat, and quadrigeminy, which occurs when every fourth beat is abnormal. Together, these terms help describe different types of heart arrhythmias and inform appropriate treatment plans.