Ventricular Tachycardia

Abstract

Ventricular tachycardia most often is a manifestation of intrinsic heart disease or digitalis intoxication. Differential diagnosis is of utmost importance in planning treatment.

Intravenous administration of procaine amide hydrochloride is the treatment of choice. However, if the arrhythmia occurs without underlying heart disease and is well tolerated, orally administered therapy is preferable to that given intravenously. Digitalis is no longer contraindicated in ventricular tachycardia unless intoxication with this drug is suspected.

NaEDTA has proved effective in digitalis-induced ventricular tachycardia.