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Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT)
Alternate Names : PSVT, Supraventricular Tachycardia
DefinitionA rapid heart rate, which occurs from time to time (paroxysmal). PSVT starts by events taking place above the ventricles.
Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
Normally, the chambers of the heart (atria and ventricles) contract in a coordinated manner. The contractions are caused by an electrical signal that begins in the sinoatrial node (also called the sinus node or SA node).
The signal is conducted through the atria (the upper heart chambers) and stimulates the atria to contract. The electrical signal then passes through the atrioventricular node (AV node), and travels through the ventricles (the larger, lower chambers), stimulating them to contract.
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) can be initiated in the SA node; in the atria or the atrial conduction pathways; or in the AV node. It occurs most often in young people and infants.
Risks include excessive smoking, caffeine, and alcohol use. PSVT can occur with digitalis toxicity. It can be a form of a re-entry tachycardia (an electrical current is caught in a reentrant loop, excessively stimulating the heart), as in the case of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
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• Definition
• Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
• Symptoms & Signs
• Prevention
• Diagnosis & Tests
• Treatment
• Prognosis
• Complications
• Calling Your Health Care Provider
Topics that might be of interest to you Diseases & Conditions
• Digitalis Toxicity
• Heart Failure
• Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
Tests & Exams
• ECG
• Holter Monitor (24h)
• Intracardiac Electrophysiology Study (EPS)
• Pulse
Other Topics
• Alcohol Use
• Breathing Difficulty
• Caffeine in the Diet
• Cough
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Heartbeat Sensations
• Pulse - Bounding
• Shock
• Stress and Anxiety
Review Date : 5/3/2002
Reviewed By : Elena Sgarbossa, M.D., Department of Cardiology, Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Ctr., Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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