Pulseless ventricular tachycardia history and symptoms

Pulseless ventricular tachycardia may be symptomatic or asymptomatic. In a young patient with a family history of sudden death, immediate evaluation for an inherited ventricular syndrome is recommended. If symptomatic, the ventricular rate, duration of tachycardia, and the presence of underlying disease determine the kind of symptoms that present.

In young patients with a positive family history of sudden death, evaluation for inherited arrhythmia syndromes is warranted.^[1] Inherited arrhythmia disorders include:

• Congenital long QT (LQT)^[2]
• Brugada syndrome (BrS)^[3]
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD)
• Congenital short QT intervals (SQT)^[4]
• Early repolarization syndrome
• Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF)^[5]

• Pulseless ventricular tachycardia can be symptomatic or asymptomatic.
• If symptomatic, the ventricular rate, duration of tachycardia, and the presence of underlying heart disease determine the kind of symptoms that present.
• On initial presentation, patients with impending pulseless ventricular tachycardia may present with signs of inadequate cardiac perfusion such as ^{[6] [7]}
  • chest pain,
  • shortness of breath,
  • diaphoresis,
  • palpitations, and
  • syncope.
• Physical examination may be positive for hypotension, tachycardia, tachypnea, increased JVD, and an S1.
• Eventually, Pulseless ventricular tachycardia ensues and patients become unconscious and unresponsive with no detectable pulse.^[8]

Template:WH Template:WS