Supraventricular tachycardia DDx

Overview

• SVTs are supraventricular tachycardias, that can be either atrial tachydysrhythmias (such as atrial fibrillation) or atrioventricular tachydysrhythmias. This document concerns the latter.
• Atrioventricular tachydysrhythmias arise from an abnormal impulse produced by, or dependent on, the AV node.

Types of atrioventricular tachydysrhythmia

• AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) (most common form, >50%); involves a reentrant circuit in the AV node itself
• AV reentrant tachycardia (AVRT); involves a reentrant circuit formed by aberrant myocardial accessory pathways between the atria and ventricles. Conduction may be orthodromic or antedromic down the normal His-Purkinje pathway, the latter tends to produce a wide QRS complex.
• Junctional ectopic tachycardia (rare)
• Nonparoxysmal junctional tachycardia (rare)

Causes

AVNRT; associated with:

• Myocardial ischemia
• Rheumatoid heart disease
• Pericarditis
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Medications, poisoning and toxic exposures (e.g. caffeine, theophylline)

AVRT; associated with:

• Presence of an accessory tract, often with evidence of a preexcitation syndrome on the baseline ECG (e.g. Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome)
• Ebstein’s anomaly

Junctional ectopic tachycardia and nonparoxysmal junctional tachycardia

• Cardiac ischemia
• Digoxin toxicity
• Cardiac surgery

Consider secondary causes of tachycardia

References and Links

• Wiesbauer F. Atrial Fibrillation Management Essentials. Medmastery
• ECG Library – Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)
• ECG Library – VT vs SVT

CCC Differential Diagnosis Series
NEURO	Anosmia, Ataxia, Blepharospasm, Bulbar and Pseudobulbar palsy, Central Pontine Myelinosis, Cerebellar Disease, Chorea, Cranial nerve lesions, Dementia, Dystonia, Exophthalmos, Eye trauma, Facial twitches, Fixed dilated pupil, Horner syndrome, Loss of vision, Meningism, Movement disorders, Optic disc abnormality, Parkinsonism, Peripheral neuropathy, Radiculopathy, Red eye, Retinal Haemorrhage, Seizures, Sudden severe headache, Tremor, Tunnel vision
RESP	Bronchial breath sounds, Bronchiectasis, High airway pressures, Massive haemoptysis, Sore throat, Tracheal displacement
CVS	Atrial Fibrillation, Bradycardia, Cardiac Failure, Chest Pain, Murmurs, Post-resuscitation syndrome, Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA), Pulsus Paradoxus, Shock, Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), Tachycardia, VT and VF, SVC Obstruction
GIT	Abdominal distension, Abdominal mass, Abdominal pain, Asterixis, Dysphagia, Hepatomegaly, Hepatosplenomegaly, Large bowel obstruction, Liver palpation abnormalities, Lower GI haemorrhage, Malabsorption, Medical causes of abdominal pain, Rectal mass, Small bowel obstruction, Upper GI Haemorrhage
GUT	Genital ulcers, Groin lump, Scrotal mass, Urine colour, Urine Odour, Urine transparency,
MSK	Arthritis, Shoulder pain, Wasting of the small muscles of the hand
DERM	Palmar erythema, Serious skin signs in sick patients, Thickened Tethered Skin, Leg ulcers, Skin Tumour, Acanthosis Nigricans
ENDO	Diabetes Insipidus, Diffuse Goitre, Gynaecomastia, Hirsutism, Hypoglycaemia, SIADH, Weight Loss
HAEM	Splenomegaly
PAEDS	Floppy infant
MISC	Anaphylaxis, Autoimmune associated diseases, Clubbing, Parotid Swelling, Splinter haemorrhages, Toxic agents and abnormal vitals, Toxicological causes of cardiac arrest
IMAGING	CHEST: Atelectasis, Hilar adenopathy, Hilar enlargement on CXR, Honeycomb lung, Increased interstitial markings, Mediastinal widening on mobile CXR, Pulmonary fibrosis, Pseudoinfiltrates on CXR, Pulmonary opacities on CXR, ABDO: Gas on abdominal X-ray, Kidney mass, BRAIN: Intracranial calcification, Intracranial structures with contrast, Ventriculomegaly, OTHER: Pseudofracture on X-Ray,
LABS	LOW: Anaemia, Hypocalcaemia, hypochloraemia, Hypomagnesaemia,  HIGH: Bilirubin and Jaundice, Hyperammonaemia, Hypercalcaemia, Hyperchloraemia, Hyperkalaemia, Hypermagnesaemia,  ACID BASE: Acid base disorders, Resp. acidosis, Resp. alkalosis, Creatinine, CRP, Dipstick Urinalysis, Laboratory Urinalysis, Liver function tests (LFTs), Pleural fluid analysis, Urea, Urea Creatinine Ratio, Uric acid, Urinalysis, Urine Electrolytes

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