Supraventricular tachycardia

Supraventricular tachycardia
Supraventricular tachycardia
Other names	Supraventricular arrhythmia
	Lead II electrocardiogram strip showing PSVT with a heart rate of about 180
Specialty	Cardiology
Symptoms	Palpitations, feeling faint, sweating, shortness of breath, chest pain.
Types	Atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, AVRT, AVNRT, PJRT, Sinus Tachycardia, MAT, JET, Atrial tachycardia, SA Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia (SANRT)
Causes	Re-entry or increased cardiac muscle automaticity
Diagnostic method	Electrocardiogram (ECG), Holter monitor, event monitor
Treatment	Medications, medical procedures, surgery
Frequency	~3%

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is an umbrella term for fast heart rhythms arising from the upper part of the heart.^[2] This is in contrast to the other group of fast heart rhythms – ventricular tachycardia, which start within the lower chambers of the heart.^[2] There are four main types of SVT: atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), and Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome.^[2] The symptoms of SVT include palpitations, feeling of faintness, sweating, shortness of breath, and/or chest pain.^[1]

These abnormal rhythms start from either the atria or atrioventricular node.^[2] They are generally due to one of two mechanisms: re-entry or increased automaticity.^[3] Diagnosis is typically by electrocardiogram (ECG), Holter monitor, or event monitor.^[4] Blood tests may be done to rule out specific underlying causes such as hyperthyroidism, pheochromocytomas, or electrolyte abnormalities.^[4]

A normal resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute. A resting heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute is defined as a tachycardia. During an episode of SVT, the heart beats about 150 to 220 times per minute.^[9]

Specific treatment depends on the type of SVT^[5] and can include medications, medical procedures, or surgery.^[5] Vagal maneuvers, or a procedure known as catheter ablation, may be effective in certain types.^[5] For atrial fibrillation, calcium channel blockers or beta blockers may be used for rate control, and selected patients benefit from blood thinners (anticoagulants) such as warfarin or novel anticoagulants.^[5] Atrial fibrillation affects about 25 per 1000 people,^[7] paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia 2.3 per 1000,^[6] Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome 2 per 1000,^[8] and atrial flutter 0.8 per 1000.^[10]

^ ^a ^b "What Are the Signs and Symptoms of an Arrhythmia?". NHLBI. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Types of Arrhythmia". NHLBI. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Al-Zaiti, SS; Magdic, KS (September 2016). "Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management". Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America. 28 (3): 309–316. doi:10.1016/j.cnc.2016.04.005. PMID 27484659.
^ ^a ^b ^c "How Are Arrhythmias Diagnosed?". NHLBI. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "How Are Arrhythmias Treated?". NHLBI. July 1, 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
^ ^a ^b Katritsis, Demosthenes G.; Camm, A. John; Gersh, Bernard J. (2016). Clinical Cardiology: Current Practice Guidelines. Oxford University Press. p. 538. ISBN 9780198733324. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02.
^ ^a ^b Zoni-Berisso, M; Lercari, F; Carazza, T; Domenicucci, S (2014). "Epidemiology of atrial fibrillation: European perspective". Clinical Epidemiology. 6: 213–220. doi:10.2147/CLEP.S47385. PMC 4064952. PMID 24966695.
^ ^a ^b Ferri, Fred F. (2016). Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2017. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 1372. ISBN 9780323448383. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02.
^ "Supraventricular tachycardia – Symptoms and causes". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
^ Bennett, David H. (2012). Bennett's Cardiac Arrhythmias: Practical Notes on Interpretation and Treatment. John Wiley & Sons. p. 49. ISBN 9781118432402. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02.

[NIH2011Sym-1] "What Are the Signs and Symptoms of an Arrhythmia?". NHLBI. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2016.

[NIH2011Type-2] "Types of Arrhythmia". NHLBI. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015.

[Al2016-3] Al-Zaiti, SS; Magdic, KS (September 2016). "Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management". Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America. 28 (3): 309–316. doi:10.1016/j.cnc.2016.04.005. PMID 27484659.

[NIH2011Diag-4] "How Are Arrhythmias Diagnosed?". NHLBI. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015.

[NIH2011Tx-5] "How Are Arrhythmias Treated?". NHLBI. July 1, 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2016.

[Kat2016-6] Katritsis, Demosthenes G.; Camm, A. John; Gersh, Bernard J. (2016). Clinical Cardiology: Current Practice Guidelines. Oxford University Press. p. 538. ISBN 9780198733324. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02.

[Zoni2014-7] Zoni-Berisso, M; Lercari, F; Carazza, T; Domenicucci, S (2014). "Epidemiology of atrial fibrillation: European perspective". Clinical Epidemiology. 6: 213–220. doi:10.2147/CLEP.S47385. PMC 4064952. PMID 24966695.

[Fer2017-8] Ferri, Fred F. (2016). Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2017. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 1372. ISBN 9780323448383. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02.

[:0-9] "Supraventricular tachycardia – Symptoms and causes". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 2022-03-18.

[10] Bennett, David H. (2012). Bennett's Cardiac Arrhythmias: Practical Notes on Interpretation and Treatment. John Wiley & Sons. p. 49. ISBN 9781118432402. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02.

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