Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia-mechanisms, diagnostic, and treatment

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia have their origin above the His bundle. However, this definition has a historical origin and is imprecise regarding AV-reentry tachycardia using an accessory pathways since this tachycardia use the ventricule a part of the reentry-circuit. The most common supraventricular tachycardia is the atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia, which is caused by a re-entrant tachycardia that involves the AV node and the atrial tissue followed by the atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia using an accessory pathway. More prevalent are sinus tachycardia, which is often physiologic and atrial fibrillation/flutter which are covered in detail by other articles within this issue of Therapeutischen Umschau. Therefore, the main topic of this review is the discussion of the mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of AV nodal reentry tachycardia, AV reentry tachycardia using an accessory pathway and to a less extent focal atrial tachycardia.