In many cases, the symptoms of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) stop quickly and no treatment is needed.
If treatment is needed, you will have to go to hospital. Treatment for SVT cannot be given until your diagnosis has been confirmed from an electrocardiogram (ECG).
Medication
If symptoms last for a long time or are severe, a medicine – usually adenosine – can be injected into your vein, which blocks the abnormal electrical impulses in your heart.
When adenosine is not recommended – for example, if you have asthma – an injection of verapamil can be given instead.
Medication may be also prescribed to prevent further episodes of SVT. This includes:
- digoxin
- verapamil
- beta blockers, which slow the electrical impulses in the heart
Electric shock treatment
Electric shock treatment (called cardioversion) is occasionally used to stop an episode of SVT. A machine called a defibrillator applies an electrical current to your chest. This is usually done under general anaesthetic (you are put to sleep).
Catheter ablation
Catheter ablation is an extremely effective procedure that produces small scars in your heart that block the electrical signal travelling around the abnormal electrical circuit. It prevents further episodes of SVT.
A catheter (thin, soft wire) is guided through one of your veins into your heart, where it records electrical activity. When the precise position of the circuit is found, either heat generated by an electric current or cold (cryoablation) is transmitted to the catheter tip to destroy a small mass of muscle, producing a small scar.
This procedure is usually done under a local anaesthetic (the area is numbed), with some sedation.
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Treating supraventricular tachycardia
