Sinus tachycardia: Difference between revisions
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**In pediatric patients it varies by age until age 8 or 9 (see [[Pediatric vital signs|pediatric vital signs]]) | **In pediatric patients it varies by age until age 8 or 9 (see [[Pediatric vital signs|pediatric vital signs]]) | ||
*Usually seen as a secondary response to a primary medical condition | *Usually seen as a secondary response to a primary medical condition | ||
{{Sinus tach DDX}} | |||
==Clinical Features== | ==Clinical Features== | ||
*Tachycardia | |||
*+/- [[Palpitations]] | |||
==Differential Diagnosis== | ==Differential Diagnosis== | ||
{{Tachycardia (narrow) DDX}} | |||
{{Tachycardia (wide) DDX}} | |||
==Evaluation== | ==Evaluation== | ||
[[File:Tachycardia.png|thumb|Algorithm for the Evaluation of Sinus Tachycardia]] | |||
===Workup=== | |||
*[[ECG]] | |||
*History and physical exam | *History and physical exam | ||
**Look for intoxication/withdrawal, infection, dehydration, bleeding, or a psychiatric/emotional state | **Look for intoxication/withdrawal, infection, dehydration, bleeding, or a psychiatric/emotional state | ||
*Consider orthostatic vital signs | *Consider orthostatic vital signs | ||
* If history and physical are unable to explain the tachycardia, limited labs and imaging studies may be indicated: | * If history and physical are unable to explain the tachycardia, limited labs and imaging studies may be indicated: | ||
**CBC | **CBC | ||
**BMP | **BMP | ||
** | **[[Utox]] | ||
**Urine pregnancy | **Urine pregnancy | ||
*Consider: | *Consider: | ||
**Empiric treatment for anxiety or pain (e.g. [[benzodiazepine]] or [[NSAID]]) | **Empiric treatment for [[anxiety]] or [[analgesia|pain]] (e.g. [[benzodiazepine]] or [[NSAID]]) | ||
**[[Urinalysis]] | **[[Urinalysis]] | ||
**TSH | **TSH | ||
**Troponin | **[[Troponin]] | ||
**CXR | **[[CXR]] | ||
** | **Consider workup for [[PE]] (e.g. [[D-dimer]] or CTA) | ||
===Diagnosis=== | |||
[[File:Sinustachy.jpg|thumb|Sinus tachycardia on 12-lead [[ECG]]]] | |||
*Based on [[ECG]] | |||
**Look for regular rate and presence of p-waves to support diagnosis of sinus tachycardia | |||
==Management== | ==Management== | ||
* | *Tailored to specific cause of sinus tachycardia: | ||
*If no cause | **[[IVF|Fluids]] for dehydration | ||
* | **[[pRBCs|Blood]] for hemorrhage | ||
**[[Anticoagulation]]/[[thrombolytics]] for [[PE]] | |||
**[[Sepsis antibiotics|Antibiotics]] and fluids for [[sepsis]] | |||
**[[Benzodiazepines]] for [[alcohol withdrawal]] | |||
**Supportive care for intoxication | |||
*If no cause identified, treat with caution | |||
**[[Beta blockers]] or other [[antiarrhythmics]] are '''not''' appropriate for unexplained sinus tachycardia as patient may require elevated heart rate to maintain appropriate cardiac output depending on underlying cause | |||
**May consider discharge with strict return precautions if no clear cause identified and no serious pathology suspected after careful work-up | |||
***Ensure close follow-up and strict return precautions | |||
==Disposition== | ==Disposition== | ||
*Depends on cause of tachycardia: | |||
**Home for pain, fever, or anxiety resolving with appropriate treatment | |||
**Certain withdrawal or intoxication syndromes may require ED observation or admission | |||
**ICU for severe sepsis | |||
**OR for life-threatening hemorrhage | |||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
*[[ECG (Main)]] | |||
==External Links== | ==External Links== |
Revision as of 19:12, 27 February 2021
Background
- Sinus rhythm at a rate above the upper limit of normal
- In adults, usually >100 bpm
- In pediatric patients it varies by age until age 8 or 9 (see pediatric vital signs)
- Usually seen as a secondary response to a primary medical condition
Causes of sinus tachycardia
- Emotional or psychiatric causes
- Pain, anger, or anxiety
- Response to fever (about 10 bpm per degree C > 37.0)
- SIRS (from infection or other causes)
- Dehydration/hypovolemia
- Anemia
- Drug/alcohol intoxication (particularly sympathomimetic or anticholinergic drugs, but may also be seen in aspirin, theophylline, or other ingestions)
- Drug/alcohol withdrawal
- Anion gap acidosis
- Hyperthyroidism
- PE
- CHF
- Cardiac tamponade
- Myocardial contusion
- Cardiac valvular disease
- Hyper or hypoglycemia
- Myocardial infarction
- Pheochromocytoma
Clinical Features
- Tachycardia
- +/- Palpitations
Differential Diagnosis
Narrow-complex tachycardia
- Regular
- AV Node Independent
- Sinus tachycardia
- Atrial tachycardia (uni-focal or multi-focal)
- Atrial fibrillation
- Atrial flutter
- Idiopathic fascicular left ventricular tachycardia
- AV Node Dependent
- AV Node Independent
- Irregular
- Multifocal atrial tachycardia (MAT)
- Sinus tachycardia with frequent PACs, PJCs, PVCs
- Atrial fibrillation
- Atrial flutter with variable conduction
- Digoxin Toxicity
Wide-complex tachycardia
Assume any wide-complex tachycardia is ventricular tachycardia until proven otherwise (it is safer to incorrectly assume a ventricular dysrhythmia than supraventricular tachycardia with abberancy)
- Regular
- Monomorphic ventricular tachycardia
- PSVT with aberrant conduction:
- PSVT with bundle branch block^
- PSVT with accessory pathway
- Atrial flutter with bundle branch block^
- Sinus tachycardia with bundle branch block^
- Accelerated idioventricular rhythm (consider if less than or ~120 bpm)
- Metabolic
- Irregular
- Atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter with variable AV conduction AND bundle branch block^
- Atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter with variable AV conduction AND accessory pathway (e.g. WPW)
- Atrial fibrillation + hyperkalemia
- Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia
^Fixed or rate-related
Evaluation
Workup
- ECG
- History and physical exam
- Look for intoxication/withdrawal, infection, dehydration, bleeding, or a psychiatric/emotional state
- Consider orthostatic vital signs
- If history and physical are unable to explain the tachycardia, limited labs and imaging studies may be indicated:
- CBC
- BMP
- Utox
- Urine pregnancy
- Consider:
- Empiric treatment for anxiety or pain (e.g. benzodiazepine or NSAID)
- Urinalysis
- TSH
- Troponin
- CXR
- Consider workup for PE (e.g. D-dimer or CTA)
Diagnosis
- Based on ECG
- Look for regular rate and presence of p-waves to support diagnosis of sinus tachycardia
Management
- Tailored to specific cause of sinus tachycardia:
- Fluids for dehydration
- Blood for hemorrhage
- Anticoagulation/thrombolytics for PE
- Antibiotics and fluids for sepsis
- Benzodiazepines for alcohol withdrawal
- Supportive care for intoxication
- If no cause identified, treat with caution
- Beta blockers or other antiarrhythmics are not appropriate for unexplained sinus tachycardia as patient may require elevated heart rate to maintain appropriate cardiac output depending on underlying cause
- May consider discharge with strict return precautions if no clear cause identified and no serious pathology suspected after careful work-up
- Ensure close follow-up and strict return precautions
Disposition
- Depends on cause of tachycardia:
- Home for pain, fever, or anxiety resolving with appropriate treatment
- Certain withdrawal or intoxication syndromes may require ED observation or admission
- ICU for severe sepsis
- OR for life-threatening hemorrhage