Clin Med
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Multicenter Study
Are patients admitted to emergency departments with regular supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) treated appropriately?
Regular supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is frequently encountered in clinical practice. Guidelines are available from the National Service Framework (NSF) for the treatment of patients attending emergency departments (ED) with SVT. These recommend a thyroid-function test (TFT) and arrhythmia electrocardiography (ECG), and referral to a heart-rhythm specialist on discharge. ⋯ Of these, 15 (13%) of the total 115 patients who attended ED with regular SVT were referred for Holter monitoring despite having ECGs demonstrating arrhythmia. Low referral rates, unnecessary investigations and admissions indicate a need for improvement for better patient care and to minimise healthcare costs. We have formulated a standard operating procedure, which will be available via the College of Emergency Medicine website.