Semiventricular Tachycardia

Report:

Sinus rhythm 61/min.

First degree AV block (PR 0.24").

VEBs, interpolated, in bigeminy.

Semiventricular tachycardia 122/min.

Probable old anterior MI.

Comment:

The tachycardia consists of sinus rhythm + interpolated VEBs. The term semiventricular was first used in its case report73.

Below (Fig 78a) is a good quality rhythm strip. It provides the diagnosis of the mechanism of tachycardia in the preceding trace74.

Semiventricular tachycardia such as this is one of the suggested mechanisms for bidirectional tachycardia75. This has been taken to some length in the confusing (or, rather, confused) 9th

edition of Marriott’s book, in Wagner’s extraordinary rendition76.

Fig 78a. Instead of bigeminy, interpolation: the ventricular rate doubles.

79. 68 year old woman with heart failure and irregular cannon waves in her jugular pulse.

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