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Prehospital Synchronized Electrical Cardioversion of a Poorly Perfused SVT Patient by Paramedics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2013

Gavin Smith ,
David McD Taylor ,
Amee Morgans  and
Peter Cameron
Gavin Smith*
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
David McD Taylor
Affiliation:
Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
Amee Morgans
Affiliation:
Ambulance Victoria, Doncaster, Victoria, Australia
Peter Cameron
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
*
Correspondence: Gavin Smith, B. Para. Studies, Grad. Dip. Emerg. Health, MEH, PhD(c) Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences Monash University Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road Melbourne, Australia E-mail gavin.smith@monash.edu
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Abstract

Synchronized Direct Current Cardioversion (SDC) is an established therapy for the termination of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT – either atrio-ventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) or atrio-ventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT)) with poor perfusion. The evidence is extremely limited with regard to the safety and effectiveness of this therapy. In Australia, half of the eight ambulance services include SDC within their clinical practice guidelines for the management of poorly perfused SVT; however the degree of variation in the application of SDC across these guidelines suggests a need to quantify the practice. This case provides a previously unreported example of the safety and effectiveness of prehospital SDC for SVT (with poor perfusion precipitated by a Valsalva Maneuver) by Victorian paramedics, and discusses the available literature regarding the effectiveness and safety of this practice.

SmithG, TaylorD, MorgansA, CameronP. Prehospital Synchronized Electrical Cardioversion of a Poorly Perfused SVT Patient by Paramedics. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(3):1-4.

Keywords

prehospitalsupraventricular tachycardiasynchronized direct current electrical cardioverson
Type
Case Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 28 , Issue 3 , June 2013 , pp. 301 - 304
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2013 

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