Supraventricular Tachycardia: Ongoing Concerns

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Ongoing Concerns

Symptoms of atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT), including Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, usually start during the teen or young adult years. Episodes of WPW can trigger a life-threatening heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation, although this is extremely rare. Your doctor may recommend that you wear a medical bracelet to alert medical professionals of your condition if you are at risk for ventricular fibrillation.

AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) usually first causes symptoms from the teen years to middle age.

After episodes of supraventricular tachycardia begin, they generally recur. These arrhythmias frequently stop spontaneously or with simple maneuvers, but you may have to take medicines daily if the arrhythmias keep happening. Medicine treatment typically includes beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, or digoxin. In people with frequent episodes, treatment with an antiarrhythmic medicine can decrease recurrences, and catheter ablation can eliminate the arrhythmia altogether.

When supraventricular tachycardia occurs in someone with significant coronary artery disease, the heart may not receive enough blood to keep up with the demands of the increased heart rate. If this occurs, the heart may not get enough oxygen, potentially causing a heart attack.

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Last updated:	September 26, 2006
Author:	Monica Rhodes
Reviewed By:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Laurence Epstein, MD - Cardiac Electrophysiologist
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman