Verapamil preceded by calcium in supraventricular tachycardia

Verapamil has been shown to be effective in the management of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). However, the utility of verapamil may be limited because of adverse effects, specifically hypotension. Several clinical observations have shown that the intravenous administration of calcium is effective in reversing the myocardial depressant effects of verapamil. We report the case of a patient with SVT and a systolic blood pressure of 80 mm Hg in which the administration of calcium chloride prior to that of verapamil may have negated verapamil-induced hypotension.