Description of the Disease
Ventricular tachycardia is a heart rhythm disorder in which the source of arrhythmia is located not in the atria, but in the ventricles.
Causes of the Disease
The cause of ventricular tachycardia (VT) is usually serious heart diseases – cardiomyopathies, myocardial infarction, myocarditis, left ventricular aneurysm, heart defects, genetic disorders (Brugada syndrome, long QT syndrome, short QT syndrome). VT can also occur in patients with structurally normal hearts.
Symptoms of the Disease
The heart rate during ventricular tachycardia can reach 250 beats per minute, leading to inadequate filling of the heart chambers with blood, rapid decrease in blood pressure, and loss of consciousness.
A paroxysm of ventricular tachycardia is a life-threatening condition, and with high heart rates, it requires emergency electrical cardioversion.
Ventricular rhythm disturbances are the most common cause of sudden cardiac death.
Diagnostics of the Disease
The diagnosis can be suspected in the presence of complaints of palpitations, loss of consciousness. Confirmation of the diagnosis of ventricular tachycardia can be achieved through ECG recording or 24-hour ECG monitoring.
If attempts to record an episode on ECG are unsuccessful, electrophysiological study (EP study) may be performed, during which attempts are made to provoke arrhythmia and record an ECG in the electrophysiology laboratory.
Treatment of the Disease
Treatment of VT involves a comprehensive approach: identifying the cause and, if possible, eliminating it, preventing paroxysms (prescribing adequate drug therapy, radiofrequency catheter ablation of the ventricular tachycardia substrate), and preventing sudden death (implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator).
Prognosis of the Disease
Paroxysms of sustained ventricular tachycardia are a serious diagnosis. With "fast" ventricular tachycardia, it often transforms into ventricular fibrillation – a terminal, lethal arrhythmia.
However, successes in therapy and interventional treatment can significantly reduce the likelihood of recurrent episodes, and electronic implantable devices – cardioverter-defibrillators – can reliably protect the patient from sudden cardiac death.