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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

Complications of tachycardias vary in severity depending on such factors as the type of tachycardia, the rate and duration of a rapid heart rate, and the existence of other heart conditions. Possible complications include:

  • Blood clots that can cause a stroke or heart attack
  • Inability of the heart to pump enough blood (heart failure)
  • Frequent fainting spells
  • Sudden death, usually only associated with ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation
Preparing for your appointment Risk factors
References
  1. Mitchell LB. Arrhythmias and conduction disorders: Introduction. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075a.html. Accessed April 19, 2009.
  2. Olgin JE, et al. Specific arrhythmias: Diagnosis and treatment. In: Libby P, et al., eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..X5001-8--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-4106-1&uniq=134565520#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50038-8%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-4106-1. Accessed April 19, 2009.
  3. Ventricular tachycardia. American Heart Association. http://americanheart.org/print_presenter.jhtml?identifier=3062877. Accessed April 22, 2009.
  4. Atrial or supraventricular tachycardia. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3062868. Accessed April 18, 2009.
  5. Mitchell LB. Atrial fibrillation (AF). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075e.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  6. Mitchell LB. Ventricular tachycardia (VT). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075k.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  7. Mitchell LB. Reentrant supraventricular tachycardias (SVT, PSVT). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075g.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  8. Mitchell LB. Ventricular fibrillation. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075m.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  9. Hebbar AK, et al. Management of common arrhythmias: Part I. Supraventricular arrhythmias. American Family Physician. 2002;65:2479.
  10. Hebbar AK, et al. Management of common arrhythmias: Part II. Ventricular arrhythmias and arrhythmias in special populations. American Family Physician. 2002;65:2491.
  11. Mitchell LB. Atrial flutter. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075f.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  12. What are Holter, event and transtelephonic monitors? American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3005149. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
  13. Calkins H. Supraventricular tachycardia: AV nodal reentry and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. In: Fuster V, et al., eds. Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3050545. Accessed April 19, 2009.
  14. Prystowsky EN, et al. Approach to the patient with cardiac arrhythmias: Introduction. In: Fuster V, et al., eds. Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3048673. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  15. Delacretaz E. Supraventricular tachycardia. New England Journal of Medicine. 2006;354:1039.
  16. Prystowsky EN, et al. Atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and atrial tachycardia: Introduction. In: Fuster V, et al., eds. Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3048772. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  17. Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 29, 2009.

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May 28, 2009

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