FAO Sqad

[bobjugs12]

Hey there doc, got a question for you. Had a job this evening that threw up a lot of puzzled looks and confused faces. We were called to an old woman who was complaining of heart palpitations. On arrival she was a bit anxious but all obs seemed normal. We 12 leaded her and she had a fairly normal sinus rhythm although there was a slight arhythmia (we assumed down to her very advancing years). I'm sat chatting away to her getting a history, which was normal with no cardiac problems or any illnesses of note, when the ecg went nuts. She was in SVT with a pulse of 250 yet displayed no outward symptoms at all. Sats were 99%, bp was within normal ranges and there was no change in resps. She said she felt a slight fluttering in her chest but no pain or discomfort. It lasted about 30 seconds. On the truck she did it again but for about 4 minutes yet again there were no outward symptoms, we were sat talking about her local church and her husband being in the RAF when she went from NSR to SVT and she didn't....

[bobjugs12]

...falter at all. Even when her pulse exceeded 300 she was still talking whilst i discreetly got the defib pads ready and prepped my crewmate to floor it and pre alert the ED. On arrival the on call cardiologist had a small orgasm when he looked at the ECG but couldn't offer any explanation.

The question is, have you ever seen anything like this, and if so, any ideas what it was, and how this woman who will be shortly getting a letter from the queen was not only still alive but capable of carrying on like normal when her heart should have been jumping out of her chest? Cheers

[237SJ]

Is supraventricular tachycaria what Tony Blair had? Would that be life threatening if it wasn`t treated straight away? Maybe it is something someone can live with in the short-term?

[237SJ]

sorry bobjugs I`ve interrupted your thread

[looobylooo]

hi bobjugs,
sorry to interrupt your thread, but my dad used to suffer from a racing heart beat like that.
hes in his mid 60s, had a defib fitted in 2007, has had an atrial flutter ablation, and has since, thankfully been fine.
weve lost count of the times we had to phone 999 in the early hours. it was so frightening.
he used to wear a pulse watch so it gave us warning that his heart beat was rapidly increasing which set off an alarm.
it always happened while he was asleep in bed at night, or resting watching tv.
this one particular night, it raced to over 260 bpm and he collapsed to the floor.
we thought we'd lost him, the watch dropped to a zero reading and we could feel no pulse ...
me and mum were in a state and did everything we could while i was on the phone to 999 pleading with them to get an ambulance out to us quick.
not knowing how to give correct resus, mum did her best...
the watch suddenly showed a reading again, he spluttered and started breathing really heavily ...
the paramedics arrived ... they had to shock him quite a few times... it wasnt looking good... but thankfully after what seemed like an age, they succeeded in doing their thing, got him into the ambulance and whisked him off to hospital with lights and sirens going and we followed.
we later got a message informing us that mum doing her attempt at first aid helped the situation ... :o)
i cant remember off the top of my head the correct name for his condition, but he has atrial fibulation(sp) and something else similar sounding beginning with a d(?)
his ICD fitted in his chest is doing a fine ol job and hes able to live a normal and active life again ..
we just cannot thank you paramedics enough for all you did to help my dad all those times.
we really appreciate and are so grateful for the marvelous job you all do :o) x

[Sqad]

bobjugs ..loobyloo/237SJ have given you two good examples of tachycardia which originates above the AV node...i.e supraventricular..........and is called SVT on the ECG where the beats can reach 250/minute.
Frightening, but not life threatening.
Also salla had SVT and she can give you personal experience.e

I am not a Physician and the two above have given you good and straight forward resumes.

There are many types of arrhythmias arising from above the SA node, so look them up.

Well done....I will watch you progress with interest.

[Bbbananas]

I had this problem on & off bobs for 36 years (since I was 12). It became intermittently worse, and more likely to happen in times of stress, unhappiness, tiredness or alcohol.... I often used to have a pulse of 200-300 but outwardly could seem perfectly normal and well - apart from it appearing as though my heart were about to burst out from my chest!!
It was supraventricular tachycardia. I had an ablation op in February this year to fix the faulty nerve and the problem doesn't occur now (fingers crossed). I still get lots of ectopics, but the SVT & very fast palpitation problem does not occur (fingers crossed).

[looobylooo]

me again, sorry - ive just remembered the other name of the condition he has that i couldnt think of last night - ventricular fibulation, dangerous, and if not treated within minutes the person can die, and yes atrial fibulation is the other one he has. but.... with lots of pills each day, and his little box of tricks in his chest...touch wood, hes keeping fine and dandy now ;o)