ATRIAL TACHYCARDIA

Course overview

A FOCAL ATRIAL TACHYCARDIA IS AN ARRHYTHMIA WITH ELECTRICAL IMPULSES ORIGINATING AND CONFINED WITHIN THE ATRIA. FOCAL TACHYCARDIA TYPICALLY OCCURS IN THE SETTING OF INCREASED METABOLIC DEMAND AND STRESS, LIKE INFECTION, HYPOXIA, ETC. FOCAL ATRIAL TACHYCARDIA GENERALLY IS A BENIGN ARRHYTHMIA. IN HEMODYNAMICALLY STABLE PATIENTS, MANAGEMENT OF THIS ARRHYTHMIA FOCUSES ON THE TREATMENT OF UNDERLYING CONDITIONS. THAT SAID, FOCAL ATRIAL TACHYCARDIA REQUIRES DIFFERENTIATION FROM OTHER ATRIAL ARRHYTHMIAS, LIKE ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AND ATRIAL FLUTTER. APPROPRIATE DIAGNOSIS OF FOCAL ATRIAL TACHYCARDIA MUST BE MADE TO GUIDE PROPER MANAGEMENT. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF FOCAL ATRIAL TACHYCARDIA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.