SVT/NSVT

[Carey01]

Can someone explain what SVT and NSVT is?  I thought they were rapid fore heart beats -- not PVC's.  Do people die of this or is it just a nuisance?  How fast does your heart have to be beating?

Thanks guys!

[va_tony]

They likely wouldn't have a tachy of 120 bpm ablated.  However, tachy is defined as >120 (> means greater than).  So, yes.  If the tachy had a rate of say 200, the person would be very symptomatic and would need medical intervation (meds or ablation)..

[Carey01]

So why would someone have this ablated.  120-130 BPM is not that hard to handle.  200+ on the other hand would be awful!

[va_tony]

SVT = supraventricular tachycardia.  This is a rapid heart rate (> 120 beats/min) originating in the upper chambers of the heart (i.e., the atria)

NSVT = Non sustained ventricular tachycardia. A short burst of rapid heart beats (> 120/min)originating in the lower chambers of the heart (i.e., the ventricles). The short burst is usually less than 30 seconds long and consists of 3 or more fast beats, You can think of NSVT as a string of PVC's. So your heart rate would have to be beating at higher than 120 beats a minute to be called a tachycardia.