Nonsustained Ventricular Tachycardia in the Normal Heart: Risk Stratification and Management

Joseph E Marine

doi:10.1016/j.ccep.2016.04.003

Nonsustained Ventricular Tachycardia in the Normal Heart: Risk Stratification and Management

Card Electrophysiol Clin. 2016 Sep;8(3):525-43. doi: 10.1016/j.ccep.2016.04.003. Epub 2016 Jun 9.

Author

Joseph E Marine¹

Affiliation

¹ Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Halsted 572, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Electronic address: jmarine2@jhmi.edu.

PMID: 27521087
DOI: 10.1016/j.ccep.2016.04.003

Abstract

Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) may trigger concern, particularly in patients with known congestive heart failure, structural heart disease, or prolonged QT interval. When NSVT occurs in patients with normal hearts, it usually has a benign prognosis. Therefore, establishing the presence or absence of structural or inherited heart disease is a critical step in each patient's evaluation. It is important to approach a wide-complex tachycardia in a systematic manner, to ensure correct diagnosis and treatment. When NSVT occurs in a patient with a normal heart, treatment is targeted toward symptoms and may consist of observation, medical therapy, or catheter ablation.

Keywords: Antiarrhythmic drug therapy; Catheter ablation; Idiopathic; Nonsustained; Normal heart; Risk stratification; Sudden cardiac death; Ventricular tachycardia.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
Catheter Ablation
Death, Sudden, Cardiac
Electrocardiography
Humans
Risk Factors
Tachycardia, Ventricular* / diagnosis
Tachycardia, Ventricular* / epidemiology
Tachycardia, Ventricular* / prevention & control
Tachycardia, Ventricular* / therapy

Substances

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents