tachycardia

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tachycardia (tak-i-kar-diă) n. an increase in the heart rate above normal. sinus t. tachycardia that may occur normally with exercise or excitement. It may also be due to illness, such as fever. supraventricular t. (SVT) tachycardia usually due to an accessory conduction pathway between the atria and ventricles (see Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome) but sometimes stemming from an abnormal area in the atria. ventricular t. (VT) tachycardia stemming from an abnormal focus of electrical activity in the ventricles, which can result in a sudden drop in blood pressure or cardiac arrest. See also paroxysmal tachycardia.

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