Open AccessNot-so-typical typical atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia in an adolescent
Author(s) -
Ang Js
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of emergency medicine, trauma and acute care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1999-7094
pISSN - 1999-7086
DOI - 10.5339/jemtac.2021.17
Subject(s) - palpitations , medicine , tachycardia , cardiology , electrophysiology study , emergency department , reentry , nodal , radiofrequency ablation , ablation , catheter ablation , psychiatry
Dysrhythmias are commonly encountered in the Emergency Department (ED). Timely management and recognition of dysrhythmia in the ED is essential and crucial. Physicians working in the ED should be familiar with atypical presentation of common dysrhythmias. This case report illustrates atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia (AVNRT) with an unusually slow heart rate in an adolescent. A 16-year-old male presented to the ED twice for palpitations. His electrocardiograms showed narrow complex tachycardia with absent P waves. Electrophysiology studies confirmed typical slow-fast AVNRT which was treated successfully with radiofrequency ablation of the slow pathway. Diagnosing rare dysrhythmias or common dysrhythmias which manifest atypically can be challenging for non-cardiologists. Although AVNRT generally occurs with a heart rate of >130 bpm, emergency physicians should be aware that AVNRT can take place with a relatively slower rate in both the elderly and young.