Supraventricular tachycardia

What it means

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is an abnormally increased heart rate (over 100 beats per minute at rest) with origin above the level of the ventricles.

A narrow complex (QRS width less than 120 milliseconds) reflects rapid activation of the ventricles via the normal conduction pathway, i.e. His-Purkinje system, which in turn suggests that the tachycardia originated above the AV node and is thus supraventricular.

Rare diseases that can present with this14

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Supraventricular tachyarrhythmia · SVT