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 What Is It? Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is an unusually fast heart rhythm that happens when the heart rhythm (or pulse) is faster than 100 beats per minute. It is the most common rhythm disturbance in children and is rarely life threatening. SVT occurs when the heart’s electrical system has an irregularity. It can come on suddenly and improve on its own. It can occur for minutes to hours, but usually lasts 10-15 minutes. Causes of SVT in athletes include: • Intense exercise • Anxiety • Fever • Infection • Dehydration • Hyperthyroidism (high thyroid hormone levels) • Anemia • Stimulant use • Lung disease • Heart disease
Symptoms/Risks Symptoms of SVT may include: • Palpitations (fast and hard heart beats) • Heart feels like it skips a beat • Lightheadedness • Dizziness • Feeling tired Some patients may experience these additional symptoms: • Trouble breathing • Chest pain or chest tightness SVT is more common in older patients with heart disease and is less common in younger athletic populations (unless there is a known heart condition).
Sports Medicine Evaluation & Treatment Athletes during the pre-participation physical will get a full evaluation from a sports medicine physician. If the athlete has a history of symptoms related to the heart, including known heart disease, further evaluation will be ordered. A sports medicine physician will review the symptoms and perform a physical exam with a complete cardiac test, including listening for heart abnormalities, checking for normal pulses, evaluating signs of abnormal swelling and any changes in the heart rhythm. The athlete will get an electrocardiogram to look at the heart rhythm to identity SVT. Screening electrocardiograms will rarely pick up SVT if the athlete has no symptoms. The physician may obtain blood work to check the thyroid, liver and kidneys during the initial evaluation. If there are abnormalities found during the initial work-up, the next step would likely include referral to a cardiologist to perform further specialized studies (i.e. stress test, echocardiogram) to evaluate for any cardiac disease. Additional studies may include wearing a heart monitor to record the heart’s electrical activity over several days and during physical activity. Treatment regimens for SVT include: • Medications to control the heat rhythm and rate. • Treatment with cardioversion (applying electrical current to the heart). • Treatment with ablation to destroy the area of the heart that is causing the abnormal electrical signals. If the SVT was triggered by specific physical activity, anxiety, stress or other factors not directly due to heart abnormalities, modifications to these factors will be advised to reduce the risk of a repeat episode.
Injury Prevention To prevent the onset of SVT it is important to: • Stay hydrated during activity. • Reduce anxiety and stressors. • Maintain healthy nutrition. • Train for endurance, strength, and conditioning. • Educate athlete on symptoms to report to the physician. • Report any family history of heart disease to the physician.
Return to Play Once SVT evaluation is complete, return to play is dependent on the cause and treatment plan provided. In general, athletes with no further symptoms and no structural heart abnormalities will be cleared to play if their SVT is resolved or is properly controlled. If SVT is treated by medicine or a procedure, athletes may be able to return to play as long as they are symptom-free and there are no structural abnormalities or have no electrical heart risks. Return to play protocol will be sports specific. AMSSM Member Authors References Category: Cardiovascular (Heart) Issues, Chest and Abdomen, [Back] |
