Ventricular Tachycardia (VT)

Tachycardia is a fast heart rate (usually over 100 beats per minute) caused by disease or injury. It can also be part of a normal response to increased activity or oxygen demands. The average heart beats between 60 and 100 times per minute. When the tachycardia is due to disease or injury, it usually requires treatment. Tachycardias may begin in the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) or the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles). Some are harmless, but others are life threatening.

Ventricular tachycardia occurs when the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles) produce impulses that make the heart beat too quickly. With this disorder, the heart doesn't fill with enough blood between beats to meet the body's needs.

Ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation syndrome refers to a condition in which a ventricular tachycardia quickly deteriorates to ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening arrhythmia demanding immediate treatment with either an external defibrillator or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).

Normal Rhythm

Every normal heart has a normal rhythm. That rhythm varies from person to person. In most healthy people, the heart at rest beats about 60 to 100 times per minute. A small bunch of heart cells called the sinoatrial node keeps time.