Report aims to improve diagnosis and treatment of SVT

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The charity Arrhythmia Alliance has launched the Arrhythmia Alliance Healthcare Pioneers Report—Showcasing Best Practice in SVT to provide examples of good care to improve outcomes and quality of life of people with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT).

SVT is a rapid increase in resting heart rate—above 100 beats per minute—that originates in the atria. The diagnosis of SVT can be challenging because the condition is episodic in nature and is difficult to identify unless an electrocardiogram (ECG) can record an episode at the time it occurs. Another challenge is that despite treatment, some people with SVT continue to have symptoms. Additionally, some people discontinue taking medication because they cannot tolerate the side-effects.

Therefore, the aim of Arrhythmia Alliance Healthcare Pioneers Report—Showcasing Best Practice in SVT is to explore innovative approaches to diagnosing and treating SVT. The report includes a case study from Shouvik Haldar (Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, London, UK), who used personal ECGs to address the challenges of diagnosing SVT during the UK lockdown. He notes: “We have used novel ways to improve diagnosis of arrhythmias in patients with SVT, including the increasing use of personal ECG devices during this current pandemic… ultimately having wider options and embracing the potential of digital health tools is likely to be beneficial for patients and physicians alike with hopefully shorter times to diagnosis and treatment.”

Hugh Calkins (Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, USA), Medical Director & Board Member, Arrhythmia Alliance, comments: “The case studies in this report examine the current challenges in diagnosing and managing people with SVT and provide potential solutions to these challenges. However, the aim of the SVT Pioneers report is not just to ‘showcase best practice’ but also to encourage centres across the globe to consider what innovative approaches they could adopt to improve care and quality of life for people with SVT. Ultimately, with the report, we want to inspire other centres to become ‘SVT pioneers’ and ‘centres of excellence’.“

The report follows the established Healthcare Pioneer Reports: AF Association Healthcare Pioneers Report—Showcasing Best Practice in AF and STARS Healthcare Pioneers Report—Showcasing Best Practice in Syncope. Published by Arrhythmia Alliance’s sister charities, AF Association and STARS respectively, these reports outline innovative approaches to managing atrial fibrillation (AF) and syncope.


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