What is Pediatric paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia?
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is the second most common arrhythmia in children after sinus tachycardia. A heart rate (HR) higher than 220 bpm in children below one year of age and higher than 180 bpm in children above one year is suspicious for PSVT.
What is paradoxical SVT?
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is a type of abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia. It occurs when a short circuit rhythm develops in the upper chamber of the heart. This results in a regular but rapid heartbeat that starts and stops abruptly.
Is SVT in children life threatening?
What are the effects of this problem on my child’s health? SVT is almost never life-threatening and treatment outcomes are excellent. It causes intermittent symptoms of heart racing and may cause chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and/or fainting. The episodes may or may not be related to exercise.
What is the most common cause of supraventricular tachycardia in children?
Supraventricular tachycardia is by far the most common heart arrhythmia seen in infants and children. There are many types of SVT, but the most common form in children occurs when there is an extra electrical connection between the top and bottom chambers of the heart, called an accessory electrical pathway.
How do you control SVT in children?
Treatment options include digoxin, beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers and the sodium-channel blocker, flecainide. While there is significant variation in practice, the majority of European centers use flecainide or atenolol as the first choice of drug for the prevention of recurrent Supraventricular tachycardia.
Does SVT damage the heart?
In the vast majority of cases SVT is a benign condition. This means that it will not cause sudden death, damage the heart or cause a heart attack. It will not shorten life expectancy.
Does SVT get worse over time?
How to treat SVT. Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter tend to worsen over time, but AVNRT and AVRT can behave differently. Sometimes episodes get shorter or less intense over time, which is what happened with me. Sometimes episodes stay relatively the same or get worse.
Can SVT go away on its own permanently?
SVT can go away on its own, with medication, or with certain actions used to slow heart rate: holding your breath, coughing, or immersing your face in cold water. SVT may last only briefly or for several hours.
What does paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia ( PSVT ) mean in medical terms?
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is episodes of rapid heart rate that start in a part of the heart above the ventricles. Paroxysmal means from time to time. Normally, the chambers of the heart (atria and ventricles) contract in a coordinated manner.
What are the symptoms of SVT in children?
In children who are slightly grown up, SVT is accompanied with symptoms like general weakness, pain in the stomach, palpitations, nausea, dizziness and a slight discomfort in the chest region. Children can be taught to control their heart rate with a technique known as Valsalva maneuver.
How often does supraventricular tachycardia occur in children?
Supraventricular Tachycardia. What is supraventricular tachycardia? Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is the most common arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) diagnosed in children. It is said to occur in up to 1 in 2500 children. While the problem is often congenital, meaning it is present at birth, the onset and severity of symptoms varies.
How is tachycardia treated in patients with SVT?
The treatment of SVT consists of two phases. The first phase involves steps taken in order to stop or control the current attack of tachycardia while the second phase involves steps to prevent any further recurrence. A few easy procedures can prove very effective in ending a given episode of tachycardia.