[Termination of ventricular tachycardia by noninvasive methods]

Present paper reports on a patient referred for sustained, hemodynamically well tolerated, ventricular tachycardia, terminated by noninvasive temporary pacing. The tachycardia was refractory to chest tump and intravenous standard drugs (lidocaine and propafenone). Demonstration of spontaneous atrioventricular dissociation and ventricular capture during transesophageal atrial pacing allowed rapid and correct diagnosis. Overdrive with external noninvasive ventricular pacing proved effective in terminating ventricular tachycardia and converting it to sinus rhythm. These observations suggest that noninvasive approach to hemodynamically stable ventricular tachycardia can provide a safe and effective alternative to more aggressive medical management.