Arrhythmia - Supraventricular Tachycardia

Question 1

What types of SVT is there?

Answer 1

Atrial-tachycardia
Nodal tachycardia
Atrial flutter (covered)

Question 2

What is Atrial tachycardia?

Answer 2

When atria depolarise faster than normal

AV can’t conduct impulse rates fast enough in SA node is firing too fast - this is why on ECG some p waves are not followed by a QRS complex

Question 3

What is nodal tachycardia?

Answer 3

Area around AV node depolarised lots

So P waves are VERY close to QRS or may not be seen at all

QRS is normal as it is with all SVT as ventricles are normal

Question 4

What can SVT feel like?

Answer 4

Heart going very fast then stopping or slowing suddenly

Can last seconds or days
Several times a day or once a year

Question 5

Other symptoms of SVT?

Answer 5

Chest pain
Dizzy
Light-headed
Breathlessness

Question 6

Treatment for SVT?

Answer 6

In haemo dynamically stable - valsalva-manouvre will stop tachycardia as it increases vagal tone

IV adenosine or if this fails Verapamil

If still no response use beta blockers or amiodarone

Question 7

Treatment for atrial tachycardia?

Answer 7

Is rare - normally due to digoxin toxicity

Question 8

Junctional/nodal tachycardia?

Answer 8

Vagal maneuvers

Adenosine/Verapamil will convert it to a sinus rhythm

If it recurs use beta blockers or amiodarone