In this article, we will discuss various Causes of Ventricular Tachycardia. So, let’s get started.
Ventricular Tachycardia is a wide QRS (>0.12 sec) tachycardia consisting of 3 or more consecutive ventricular premature beats at a rate of >100 bpm. The sudden onset of a wide QRS tachycardia usually rings an alarm bell if the patient is symptomatic. If left untreated, VT may degenerate into a fatal ventricular flutter. VT may be sustained (persists for >30 seconds) or nonsustained (does not persist beyond 30 seconds). The sustained VT requires termination because of hemodynamic consequences. Repeated episodes (>2 in 24 hours) of VT require external cardioversion/defibrillation or DC shock therapy.
Causes
- Acute myocardial infarction or ischemia
- Cardiomyopathy (ischemic or idiopathic)
- Electrolyte disturbance (e.g. hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia)
- Drugs (e.g. digitalis and other proarrhythmics)
- Myocarditis, mitral valve prolapse
- Reperfusion
- Ventricular aneurysm
- Pacemaker mediated (e.g. DDD pacemaker)
- Mechanically induced by a pacing catheter or flow-directed pulmonary artery catheter.
- Idiopathic
- Miscellaneous such as right ventricular dysplasia, Bergada syndrome, sarcoidosis.
One reply on “Causes of Ventricular Tachycardia”
I have a history of Supraventricular Tachycardia. I had the last ablation done in 2014….all good since then.