Wide complex tachycardia is a heart rhythm over 100 beats a minute with a wide QRS complex on an EKG. Unusual waves on an EKG show that heartbeat signals are taking longer than usual to reach your heart’s lower chambers. Abnormal heart rhythms cause this condition in most cases. Symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath.
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Wide complex tachycardia is an abnormal heart rhythm with a heart rate above 100 beats per minute (bpm). The term “wide complex” refers to a longer length of time for a heartbeat signal to reach your heart’s lower chambers (ventricles) after leaving the atrioventricular node. (An electrocardiogram measures the duration or width of the signal.) When this happens, your lower chambers don’t beat at the same time, and your heart can’t pump enough blood to your body.
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It can take longer for a signal to get to your ventricles if there’s a problem with the conduction system. This can come from damage after a heart attack. Another reason for the delay is that the signal takes a detour through an extra pathway instead of the usual one.
You may have low blood pressure and a low body temperature with this condition. Symptoms include:
Certain types of ventricular tachycardia are the most common causes. Ventricular fibrillation and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) with abnormal conduction are next.
Other causes include:
You may have a higher risk of wide complex tachycardia if you have a history of heart attack, heart failure or coronary artery disease. Some medications can also increase your risk.
You can reduce your risk of wide complex tachycardia by lowering your risk of heart disease. You can do this by:
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Complications of wide complex tachycardia include heart attack and sudden cardiac death. Certain abnormal heart rhythms in your lower chambers that cause a wide complex can be fatal.
A healthcare provider can diagnose wide complex tachycardia with an electrocardiogram (EKG). This test is a record of your heart’s electrical activity. If you have this condition, your EKG will show that it takes 120 milliseconds or more for your heartbeat signal to reach the lower part of your heart. This section of waves on an EKG is the QRS complex.
A provider will also get a medical history, perform a physical exam and order blood tests. They’ll need to determine which part of your heart is causing the problem so they know how best to treat it.
Wide complex tachycardia treatment starts with making sure you’re breathing and your blood is moving through your body. A healthcare provider may put a breathing tube in or give you supplemental oxygen. If you don’t have a pulse, a provider will start CPR. You may also need defibrillation.
If you’re having chest pain, a provider will monitor your heart rhythm and blood pressure.
Once you’re stable, your provider can treat the cause of this condition. Wide complex tachycardia management may include:
After you leave the hospital, you’ll need regular follow-up visits with your primary care provider and heart doctor (cardiologist).
Questions to ask your provider may include:
Wide complex tachycardia can get worse quickly, so prompt treatment matters. The prognosis depends on:
You’ll have a better outlook if this condition doesn’t cause problems with getting blood to your organs and the abnormal heart rhythm doesn’t last long. A low ejection fraction could mean you’re at risk for sudden cardiac death.
Your daily life may be a bit different after treatment. For example, if you have an ICD, you may feel shocks now and then when the device corrects your heart rhythm. This may take some getting used to and may even cause anxiety. It may be helpful to talk to a counselor if this is hard to manage.
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Feeling pain in your chest is unsettling, to say the least. Getting medical care right away is the first step to finding out the cause. Unusual waves or wave patterns on an EKG offer clues about what’s going on with your heart rhythm. Talk to your healthcare provider about what a wide complex tachycardia diagnosis means for you.
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Cleveland Clinic’s health articles are based on evidence-backed information and review by medical professionals to ensure accuracy, reliability and up-to-date clinical standards.
Cleveland Clinic’s health articles are based on evidence-backed information and review by medical professionals to ensure accuracy, reliability and up-to-date clinical standards.
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