wine and heart

[Bucko]

I sure am glad that Hotsie isn't a doctor! [img]http://wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

PSVT is pretty common but it can scare the bejesus out of you. It usually beats at 150-190 bpm, starts suddenly, then self-converts after a short time. Anything lasting longer than 2-3 minutes should be seen in the ER. PSVT can certainly be caused by too much caffeine -- I've seen a few myself.

Of more serious note, the conduction from the atria to the ventricles normally occurs via the atrioventricular node (AV node). Patients with a preexcitation syndrome have an additional or alternative pathway, known as an accessory pathway, which directly connects the atria and ventricles and bypasses the AV node. In the Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, AV conduction is through an AV bypass tract (the bundle of Kent). This results in earlier activation (preexcitation) of the ventricles than if the impulse had traveled through the AV node. If this is the case, ablative therapy, either surgical or with a catheter using radiofrequency energy, offers a cure for patients with symptomatic WPW by ablating the accessory pathway responsible for the arrhythmias. Although both techniques are highly effective, radiofrequency ablation has largely replaced the surgical approach.

There are many others, e.g. Focal atrial tachycardia, Repetitive focal (automatic) atrial tachycardia, Incessant atrial tachycardia, Multifocal atrial tachycardia, Macroreentrant atrial tachycardia.... blah, blah, blah.

If cutting back on caffeine doesn't resolve the issue, I'd be seeing a cardiologist if it was me. Electrophysiologic studies often help to identify the mechanism responsible for the atrial tachycardia.