Professional Documents
Culture Documents
SVT is a broad term for a number of tachyarrhythmias that originate above the
ventricular electrical conduction system (purkinje fibers).
Classic Paroxysmal SVT has a narrow QRS complex & has a very regular rhythm.
Inverted P waves are sometimes seen after the QRS complex. These are called
retrograde p waves
The heart fills during diastole, and diastole is normally 2/3 the cardiac cycle. A rapid
heart rate will significantly reduce the time which the ventricles have to fill. The reduced
filling time results in a smaller amount of blood ejected from the heart during systole. The
end result is a drop in cardiac output & hypotension.
With the drop in cardiac output, a patient may experience the following symptoms. These
symptoms occur more frequently with a heart rate >150 beats per minute:
Unstable patients with SVT and a pulse are always treated with cardioversion