Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common form of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT).1  Although its treatment does not usually require admission to the hospital, it is a common tachycardia seen in the emergency department. Evidence from the specialty of electrophysiology has and is still changing the way that the arrhythmia is diagnosed, described, and treated. It is important that acute and critical care nurses have current information regarding physiology, symptoms, electrocardiographic features, other diagnostic criteria, and treatment of this arrhythmia. Thorough knowledge of AVNRT provides a framework to compare and contrast with other tachycardias to enhance the accuracy of rhythm interpretation, which is the prerequisite for optimal patient management.

More than 60% of cases of AVNRT are reported in women.2  The mean age for the first presentation is 32 years (SD, 18 years), and it typically occurs in persons without structural or ischemic heart disease.1,...

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