Tachycardia In Children: Treatment And Emergency Department

Tachycardia is an abnormally fast heart rate.In adults, it is usually defined as 100 beats per minute (bpm).In children's, the normal pulse rate varies with age.In children, tachycardia is defined based on their age.Tachyarrhythmias are defined as rapid, abnormal heart rhythms that may present as either a narrow or wide complex arrhythmia.Although often mistakenly considered synonymous with ventricular tachycardia (VT), wide complex tachycardia (WCT) in the pediatric population may be secondary to supraventricular tachycardia (SVT).The primary approach to treat SVT pharmacologically often includes the intravenous (IV) use of adenosine, which has a very short half-life of 2 to 5 seconds, known for its quick action and minimal side effects.Adenosine is a metabolized nucleoside formed by the breakdown of adenosine triphosphate.Drug treatment options for the long-term management of supraventricular tachycardia include digoxin, propranolol, and amiodarone.For hemodynamically stable patients, procainamide is advised for initial treatment due to its as its relatively rapid onset of action.Procainamide (class IA) can also be used in the initial treatment of hemodynamically stable WCT.The emergency department will often be the first port of call for children who present with palpitations or chest pain caused by an irregular heartbeat