Mechanisms and clinical manifestations of supraventricular tachycardias. 1995

K Wood
University of California, San Francisco, USA.

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is used as a general label for a variety of fast heart rhythms originating in any part of the conduction system above the ventricles. Supraventricular tachycardia encompasses subclasses of tachycardias such as: atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT), atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT), atrial tachycardia, and atrial flutter. Nurses may encounter patients with these common types of dysrhythmias in inpatient or outpatient settings. Supraventricular tachycardia causes numerous symptoms which may make life difficult for these patients. This article reviews the mechanisms, prevalence, clinical manifestations, and treatment options for each of the major types of supraventricular tachycardia. Radiofrequency ablation has currently made the treatment options more optimistic for these patients than in past years. Further research needs to be done on if, or how, these patients' symptoms and quality of life change after ablation.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011788 Quality of Life A generic concept reflecting concern with the modification and enhancement of life attributes, e.g., physical, political, moral, social environment as well as health and disease. HRQOL,Health-Related Quality Of Life,Life Quality,Health Related Quality Of Life
D006329 Heart Conduction System An impulse-conducting system composed of modified cardiac muscle, having the power of spontaneous rhythmicity and conduction more highly developed than the rest of the heart. Conduction System, Heart,Conduction Systems, Heart,Heart Conduction Systems,System, Heart Conduction,Systems, Heart Conduction
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013617 Tachycardia, Supraventricular A generic expression for any tachycardia that originates above the BUNDLE OF HIS. Supraventricular Tachycardia,Supraventricular Tachycardias,Tachycardias, Supraventricular
D015995 Prevalence The total number of cases of a given disease in a specified population at a designated time. It is differentiated from INCIDENCE, which refers to the number of new cases in the population at a given time. Period Prevalence,Point Prevalence,Period Prevalences,Point Prevalences,Prevalence, Period,Prevalence, Point,Prevalences
D017115 Catheter Ablation Removal of tissue with electrical current delivered via electrodes positioned at the distal end of a catheter. Energy sources are commonly direct current (DC-shock) or alternating current at radiofrequencies (usually 750 kHz). The technique is used most often to ablate the AV junction and/or accessory pathways in order to interrupt AV conduction and produce AV block in the treatment of various tachyarrhythmias. Ablation, Transvenous Electric,Catheter Ablation, Electric,Catheter Ablation, Percutaneous,Catheter Ablation, Radiofrequency,Catheter Ablation, Transvenous,Ablation, Catheter,Ablation, Transvenous Electrical,Catheter Ablation, Electrical,Electric Catheter Ablation,Electrical Catheter Ablation,Percutaneous Catheter Ablation,Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation,Transvenous Catheter Ablation,Ablation, Electric Catheter,Ablation, Electrical Catheter,Ablation, Percutaneous Catheter,Ablation, Radiofrequency Catheter,Ablation, Transvenous Catheter,Electric Ablation, Transvenous,Electrical Ablation, Transvenous,Transvenous Electric Ablation,Transvenous Electrical Ablation

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