Doctor's Notes on SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia) vs. Heart Attack
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a rapid heart rate (100 beats or more per minute, but typically faster, up to 140-250 beats per minute) due to electrical impulses that originate in the upper ventricles of the heart. SVTs usually come and go quickly in a few minutes without medical treatment, though some may last a few days and may require medical intervention. A heart attack is a medical emergency, as it is a severe reduction or complete blockage of blood to one or more segments of the coronary arteries that can cause death of heart muscle.
Symptoms of SVTs and heart attacks that are similar include:
- dizziness,
- lightheadedness,
- fainting,
- shortness of breath,
- anxiety,
- chest pain and/or tightness, and
- fast heart rate (in some heart attack patients).
Additional symptoms of heart attacks may include:
- sweating,
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- jaw pain,
- shoulder pain,
- back pain,
- arm pan,
- extreme weakness, and
- fatigue.
What Is the Treatment for Supraventricular Tachycardia vs. Heart Attack?
Treatment for supraventricular tachycardia depends on the severity of the condition and may include:
- Medications to control the heart rate or heart rhythm.
- Physical maneuvers, drugs, or electric impulses to restore the normal heart rhythm
- Catheter ablation, in which a thin catheter is fed into the heart through the bloodstream to create tiny scars in the area of the heart that is causing the problem.
Treatment for a heart attack may include:
- Medications to prevent or disrupt blood clot formation
- Medications to support the function of the heart and minimize pain
- Cardiac catheterization to open blocked coronary arteries
- Cardiac bypass surgery (less common)
Heart Disease : Test Your Medical IQ Quiz
QuestionIn the U.S., 1 in every 4 deaths is caused by heart disease.
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Heart Attack
A heart attack is an interruption in blood flow to the heart muscle. Arterial plaque rupture is often the cause of a heart attack. Symptoms of a heart attack may include chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, and nausea. Emergency heart catheterization and thrombolytic therapy may be used to treat a heart attack. -
Is Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy a Heart Attack?
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is not a heart attack. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also called stress cardiomyopathy or "broken heart syndrome," is a heart condition that causes sudden and temporary chest pain, difficulty breathing, and lightheadedness and fainting. It commonly occurs in older women and may be triggered by intense emotional or physical stress such as the death of a loved one (this is why it’s sometimes called broken heart syndrome), an acute illness, or even a stressful argument. -
Supraventricular Tachycardia
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT, PSVT) is one type of heart rhythm disorder. There are several types of heart diseases included in the PSVT category, for example atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, sinus tachycardia, and atrial tachycardia. Symptoms may include dizziness, shortness of breath, palpitations (rapid heartbeat), chest pain, and chest tightness. Treatment may include vagal maneuvers, medications, and surgery.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.