Template:ACLS Wide Regular Tachycardia

Wide Regular Tachycardia

Pulseless: see Adult pulseless arrest

  • Unstable: Hypotension, altered mental status, shock, ischemic chest discomfort, acute heart failure
  • Stable:
    1. Medications
      • Procainamide
        • 20-50mg/min until arrhythmia suppressed (max 17mg/kg or 1 gram); then, maintenance infusion of 1-4mg/min x6hr
          • Alternative administration: 100 mg q5min at max rate of 25-50 mg/min[1]
        • Stop if QRS duration increases >50% or hypotension
        • Avoid if prolonged QT or CHF
        • Favored over Amiodarone in PROCAMIO trial; termination of tachycardia in 67% of procainamide group vs 38% of amiodarone group, adverse cardiac events 9% vs 41%, respectively [2]
        • Until termination of arrhythmia, then start 2-6 mg/min (or 1-2 mg/min for renal/cardiac failure) OR
        • Max 17 mg/kg total dose given (12 mg/kg if renal failure) OR
        • If QRS widens > 50%


100 mg every 5 minutes until arrhythmia is controlled or other conditions described above are met


      • Amiodarone
        • 150mg over 10min (repeat as needed); then maintenance infusion of 1mg/min x6hr
      • Adenosine
        • May be considered for diagnosis and treatment only if rhythm is regular and monomorphic
    1. Synchronized Cardioversion (100J)
  1. Procainamide. GlobalRPH. http://www.globalrph.com/procainamide_dilution.htm.
  2. Ortiz M, Martín A, Arribas F, et al. Randomized comparison of intravenous procainamide vs. intravenous amiodarone for the acute treatment of tolerated wide QRS tachycardia: the PROCAMIO study. Eur Heart J. 2017 May 1;38(17):1329-1335