PSVT

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is a type of arrhythmia. It involves a fast, irregular heartbeat that starts and stops abruptly. Sypmtoms can include a rapid or racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, and chest pain. A PSVT episode may feel like a panic attack, but the condition is generally not dangerous. An exception is Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, when PSVT is cause by an abnormal connection in the heart that can be life-threatening.

Treatment usually involves first trying certain maneuvers to stop or avert an episode, including breath holding or the Valsalva maneuver. An intravenous injection of an antiarrhytmic or calcium channel blocker can also stop an episode. Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and digoxin may also be used to prevent episodes. Ablation, where the heart tissue causing the arrhythmia is destroyed using a catheter, is also effective for most patients.