Supraventricular tachycardia: diagnosis and current acute management.

There is a small but potentially avoidable incidence of death associated with childhood supraventricular tachycardia.1 2 The time of greatest risk is when the child presents for the first time and requires therapeutic intervention. Infants and children tolerate arrhythmias less well than adults as they are more dependent on heart rate for cardiac output and have less reserve.3 4 They are also at risk from drugs given as treatment.5 We discuss our current acute management of supraventricular tachycardia.