Further observations on ventricular tachycardia as studied by electrical stimulation of the heart

Chronic Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia and Ventricular Tachycardia During Acute Myocardial Infarction
  • Hein J. J. Wellens
  • K. I. Lie
  • Dirk Durrer
Chapter

Abstract

Initiation and termination of tachycardia was studied by electrical stimulation of the heart in 14 patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) not related to acute myocardial infaction (group A) and six patients in whom the tachycardia occurred within 24 h after the onset of acute myocardial infaction (group B). Results favor re-entry as the mechanism of tachycardia in group A patients. In group B abnormal automaticity seems more likely. In one patient with chronic recurrent VT the arrhythmia could be terminated by a single atrial premature beat. In a patient with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and old myocardial infaction, VT could be initiated by a single atrial premature beat. One patient was studied while having VT during acute myocardial infarction and again five weeks later. In the acute phase of myocardial infarction no evidence for re-entry could be obtained; during the second study, however, ventricular tachycardias could be initiated and terminated by a single ventricular premature beat fulfilling the criteria of re-entry.

Keywords

Acute Myocardial Infarction Ventricular Tachycardia Ventricular Premature Beat Acute Myocardial Infarc Tricular Tachycardia 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2000

Authors and Affiliations

  • Hein J. J. Wellens
    • 1
  • K. I. Lie
    • 1
  • Dirk Durrer
    • 1
  1. 1.University Department of Cardiology and Clinical PhysiologyAmsterdamThe Netherlands

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