Patients with frank hemodynamic compromise from acute VT require emergency management with electrical cardioversion. Although cardioversion treats VT, it does not prevent recurrence of VT, and patients may experience repeated episodes of recurrent VT after cardioversion; this phenomenon is termed VT storm. These patients additionally require acute antiarrhythmic therapy, ablation therapy, or both.
The mainstays of long-term treatment for clinically stable patients with VT are the various antiarrhythmic drugs. However, cardiologists are increasingly making use of interventional therapy with devices and ablation procedures designed to abort VT or to destroy arrhythmogenic tissue in the heart. (See Treatment.)
For information on VT in children, see Pediatric Ventricular Tachycardia .For patient education information, see the Heart Center, as well asHeart Rhythm Disorders, Supraventricular Tachycardia, and Palpitations.