Thursday, January 20, 2011

Homework 2: Causes and treatments of supraventricular tachycardia

Supraventricular tachycardia is a rapid heartbeat originating from the atria.

Causes:
atherosclerosis
thyroid disease
chronic lung disease
blood clots
pericarditis
cocaine abuse
alcohol abuse
smoking
stress

Treatments:
The objective of treatment focuses on decreasing the heart rate and breaking up the electrical circuits made by the abnormal conducting pathways. Treatment can be divided into 2 broad categories: halting the acute episode and preventing any new ones.

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