Wide-complex tachycardia: Difference between revisions

(Text replacement - "* " to "*")
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***[[Procainamide]] (20mg/min)
***[[Procainamide]] (20mg/min)
***[[Amiodarone]] (150mg over 10min, then 1mg/min gtt x 6hrs)
***[[Amiodarone]] (150mg over 10min, then 1mg/min gtt x 6hrs)
***[[Sotalol]] (100 mg IV over 5 minutes)
***[[Sotalol]] (100mg IV over 5 minutes)
***[[Magnesium]] 1-2gm IV over 60-90s, then infuse 1-2gm/hr (for [[Torsades De Pointes]])
***[[Magnesium]] 1-2gm IV over 60-90s, then infuse 1-2gm/hr (for [[Torsades De Pointes]])
*Refractory
*Refractory

Revision as of 08:34, 21 July 2016

Background

  • Consider Hyperkalemia, Dig Toxicity, severe metabolic acidosis
  • Sustained ventricular tachycardia is VT > 30 seconds
  • Less than 30 seconds, non-sustained VT

Epidemiology[1][2][3]

  • WCT is due to ventricular tachycardia in 80% of cases
  • For patients with underlying cardiac disease, this number increases to > 90%

Differential Diagnosis

Wide-complex tachycardia

Assume any wide-complex tachycardia is ventricular tachycardia until proven otherwise (it is safer to incorrectly assume a ventricular dysrhythmia than supraventricular tachycardia with abberancy)

^Fixed or rate-related

Diagnosis

Ventricular tachycardia
  • Assume ventricular tachycardia until proven otherwise
  • See V Tach vs. SVT

Management

Pulseless: see Adult pulseless arrest

  • Unstable:
    • Regular: Synchronized cardioversion 100-200J
    • Irregular: Unsynchronized cardioversion (defibrillation) 200J
  • Stable
    • Regular (treat as presumed V-tach)
      • Procainamide (20mg/min)
      • Amiodarone (150mg over 10min, then 1mg/min gtt x 6hrs)
        • Agent of choice in setting of AMI or LV dysfunction
      • Lidocaine 1-1.5mg/kg IV q5min, repeat prn until up to 300mg/hr
    • Irregular (treat as presumed preexcited A-fib)
  • Refractory
    • ≥3 episodes within 24 hours considered electrical storm and may require alternate treatment (i.e. beta blockade, sedation, ablation)

Disposition

  • Admit all patients (even if converted to NSR with adenosine)

See Also

References

  1. Gupta AK, Thakur RK. Wide QRS complex tachycardias. Med Clin North Am. 2001;85(2):245–66– ix–x.
  2. Akhtar M, Shenasa M, Jazayeri M, Caceres J, Tchou PJ. Wide QRS complex tachycardia. Reappraisal of a common clinical problem. Ann Intern Med. 1988;109(11):905–912.
  3. Stewart RB, Bardy GH, Greene HL. Wide complex tachycardia: misdiagnosis and outcome after emergent therapy. Ann Intern Med. 1986;104(6):766–771.