Treatment
Most SVT is unpleasant rather than life threatening, although very fast heart rates can be problematic for those with underlying ischemic heart disease or the elderly. Episodes require treatment when they occur, but interval therapy may also be used to prevent or reduce recurrence. While some treatment modalities can be applied to all SVTs, there are specific therapies available to treat some, particular sub-types. Effective treatment consequently requires knowledge of how and where the arrhythmia is initiated and how it is spread.
SVTs can be separated into two groups, based on whether they involve the AV node for impulse maintenance or not. Those that do so can be terminated by slowing conduction through the AV node. Those that do not will not usually be terminated by AV nodal blocking maneuvers. In these circumstances, transient AV block is still useful, as it will often unmask the underlying rhythm abnormality.
AV nodal blocking can be achieved in at least three different ways:
Read more about this topic: Supraventricular Tachycardia
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