Published by Bupa's Health Information Team, June 2010.
This factsheet is for people who have ventricular tachycardia, or who would like information about it.
Ventricular tachycardia causes the heart to beat too fast, usually at a rate of 120 to 200 beats per minute. Ventricular tachycardia is a type of arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm) caused by faulty electrical signals in the heart.
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Tachycardia means a rapid heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute. Ventricular means that the problem starts in the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles).
Ventricular tachycardia can be life-threatening, especially if other heart problems already exist, such as heart disease or a history of heart attack.
Your heartbeat is controlled by electrical signals (impulses), which start in a part of the heart wall called the sinus node, and travel through the heart making it contract. The signals travel from the atria (the upper chambers of the heart) to the ventricles (the lower chambers) through an area called the atrioventricular (AV) node. The AV node helps to synchronise the pumping action of the atria and ventricles.
Ventricular tachycardia occurs when the electrical signals in the ventricles become disorganised, overriding the heart's normal rate and rhythm. This causes the ventricles to contract faster than normal. This causes the heart to pump out blood quicker than normal and the ventricles may not have enough time to fill up properly with blood.
Symptoms of ventricular tachycardia may include:
These symptoms may be caused by problems other than ventricular tachycardia, if you have them, get urgent medical advice.
If you have heart disease or have had a heart attack in the past, ventricular tachycardia can lead to a life-threatening condition called ventricular fibrillation. This is fatal unless corrected within a minute or two.
Many conditions that affect the heart or blood circulation can cause ventricular tachycardia:
Certain factors can trigger ventricular tachycardia:
Some people develop ventricular tachycardia without having any underlying cause or risk factor.
Ventricular tachycardia is normally diagnosed with an electrocardiogram (ECG) test. An ECG is a test which measures the electrical activity of your heart to see how well it's working. An ECG will be done if you have had a heart attack, have suddenly become unwell with symptoms such as chest pain and fainting, or if there is anything else to suggest a heart problem.
If you visit your GP because of symptoms such as palpitations or fainting episodes, he or she will ask about your symptoms and examine you. Your GP will also ask you about your medical history and may suggest you have an ECG. If your ECG test suggests you have ventricular tachycardia, you will need to go to hospital immediately for the following tests:
Treatment of ventricular tachycardia is aimed at stopping attacks if necessary, treating symptoms and preventing future attacks.
A ventricular tachycardia attack can sometimes stop by itself. However, if the attack is sustained (lasts for longer than 30 seconds) you may need hospital treatment to stop it.
You may be given an anti-arrhythmic medicine such as amiodarone through a drip in your arm to get your heart rhythm back to normal. This is known as chemical or medical cardioversion.
If you're having symptoms such as breathlessness, dizziness and chest pain, or are falling unconscious, it means that there may be an immediate risk of your condition getting worse and your heart going into ventricular fibrillation. This can be fatal. You will need to have an emergency procedure called an electrical (DC) cardioversion. In this procedure, under a general anaesthetic controlled electrical current is applied to your chest via a machine called a defibrillator, to help restore your heart to its normal rhythm. For more information see related topics.
There are several different types of medicine that can help control your heart rate and rhythm, including beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and anti-arrhythmic medicines.
Your doctor may prescribe a combination of any of these medicines. You may have to take them for just a short period until you have other treatment such as electrical cardioversion to restore your heart rhythm, or you may have to take them for months or years. Alternatively, you may be given medicine to take just when you get symptoms.
Always ask your doctor for advice and read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine.
Surgery is only used when your symptoms haven't responded very well to other treatments. You may need to have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a device implanted under the skin near your collarbone. It monitors your heartbeat and when it detects you're having ventricular tachycardia, it produces electrical signals to your heart to correct it. If a more serious rhythm should develop, an internal shock can be delivered to correct it.
Sometimes catheter ablation may be done. This is when small tubes called electrode catheters are passed into your veins in the groin and threaded up to the heart. Abnormal tissue which is disrupting the electrical signals in your heart is burnt or frozen.
For answers to frequently asked questions on this topic, see Common questions.
For sources and links to further information, see Resources.
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This information was published by Bupa's Health Information Team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been reviewed by appropriate medical or clinical professionals. Photos are only for illustrative purposes and do not reflect every presentation of a condition. The content is intended only for general information and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional. For more details on how we produce our content and its sources, visit the About our Health Information page.
Publication date: June 2010
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