The episodic nature of SVT can be misleading, and some people—women in particular—may be misdiagnosed as having anxiety or panic attacks at first, especially because their physical examination may not reveal any abnormalities.
Arrhythmias are common both in people who have heart disease and people who have a structurally normal heart. According to Braunwald s Heart Disease, arrhythmias can be harmless. But they can also be a sign of a life-threatening, underlying condition.
If your SVT does not stop within 15 to 30 minutes, or if your symptoms are severe, you should go to the emergency room. A healthcare provider can almost always stop an SVT episode within seconds by giving an intravenous dose of adenosine or verapamil.
Helton M. Diagnosis and management of common types of supraventricular tachycardia. Am Fam Physician. 2015 Nov;92(9):793-802.
Bibas L, Levi M, Essebag V. Diagnosis and management of supraventricular tachycardias. CMAJ. 2016 Dec;188(17-18):1-8. doi:10.1503/cmaj.160079
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