Tests and Diagnosis of Tachycardia

The main task for the cardiologist is to determine the causes of tachycardia, but it seems impossible to diagnose this conditions basing only on its symptoms. Therefore, a patient should undergo some tests. An objective analysis of the heart and blood vessels performance helps make correct conclusions about the type of tachycardia and choose proper treatment.

The diagnostic methods of tachycardia include:

• Electrocardiography – plays a main role helping identify the type of tachycardia, rate and rhythmicity of the heart beat;
  
  
• Holter Monitoring – it helps detect any changes in cardiac performance during the day and check heart reactions on emotional and physical stresses;
  
  
• Echocardiography (Doppler echocardiography) – it helps find latent chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system and intra-cardiac abnormalities that cause pathologic tachycardia. This method gives the possibility to see and evaluate cardiac performance in the real-time mode;
  
  
• Intracardiac electrophysiological study – this procedure helps understand how electrical impulse spreads out over the heart muscle, detects cardiac conduction abnormalities and the mechanism of tachycardia;
  
  
• Blood tests – they are used to check the levels of thyroid hormones (to exclude thyroid disorders), potassium, or other abnormalities in blood chemistry that may result in tachycardia.

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