I would like to pick your brain.....

[jad2]

If a heart is in SVT and an MD has the patient bear down (Vasalva maneuver) and simultaneously presses down on a carotid artery...why does the heart rate increase even more.?????

Thanks.

[Dinith88]

Either the rhythm isn't an SVT (VT is much less likely to respond to these tricks), or (more likely), the svt simply wont respond to carotid massage and/or valsalva. It'd be nice if all patients/svt's were treatable this way, unfortunately it's not a text-book world we live in.

As far as 'why did it speed up', thats hard to say. Either the patient was freaked out by all this weirdness ("..bear down like you're trying to crap while i rub your neck real hard...trust me i'm a proffesional..."), or the pt's rhythm/condition was just deteriorationg.

[critcarenurse16]

Either the rhythm isn't an SVT (VT is much less likely to respond to these tricks), or (more likely), the svt simply wont respond to carotid massage and/or valsalva. It'd be nice if all patients/svt's were treatable this way, unfortunately it's not a text-book world we live in.

As far as 'why did it speed up', thats hard to say. Either the patient was freaked out by all this weirdness ("..bear down like you're trying to crap while i rub your neck real hard...trust me i'm a proffesional..."), or the pt's rhythm/condition was just deteriorationg.

:rotfl:

[mattsmom81]

Carotid massage should only be done by a MD IMO...because its likely to do more harm than good. Funny response, Dinith, I appreciated that...LOL! I've never seen carotic pressure or valsalva convert SVT personally..altho textbooks love it.

[wmarat, BSN, RN]

Carotid massage should only be done by a MD IMO...because its likely to do more harm than good. Funny response, Dinith, I appreciated that...LOL! I've never seen carotic pressure or valsalva convert SVT personally..altho textbooks love it.

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