[Diagnosis and clinical aspects of supraventricular tachycardia]

Supraventricular tachycardias are the most frequently occurring manifestations of arrhythmia. They make very high demands on the physician in respect of differential diagnosis and clinical assessment. Atrial tachycardias, atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation are mainly associated with an underlying cardiac disease. The isolated forms of atrial flutter and fibrillation without any detectable cardiac disease are a diagnostic challenge and are associated with a relatively high rate of complications. AV node reentry and AV tachycardias with accessory path are not associated with cardiac disease; they occur in 0.8% of the population and can be assessed with satisfactory accuracy in respect of mechanism and risk by means of the 12-lead ECG alone.