A STUDY OF PAROXYSMAL TACHYCARDIA, WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO TACHYCARDIA OF VENTRICULAR ORIGIN

Abstract

Since 1913 there have been under observation in the wards of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital eighteen patients with rapid heart possessing the characteristic features of paroxysmal tachychardia; namely, sudden onset and offset, constant, regular, rapid rate and typical electrocardiographic tracings. These cases present, for the most part, the usual, oft described histories and physical findings. In the majority of cases the pacemaker lies in the auricle, as demonstrated graphically. Of this type there were sixteen cases. The second type includes such cases as show a ventricular origin of the impulse, during the paroxysms. This occurs surprisingly infrequently. Occasion is therefore taken to summarize briefly the previous similar cases that have found their way into the literature and to add two from our own series. Reports of cases electrocardiographically showing ventricular tachycardia and similar electric complexes are infrequent. We herewith present a brief summary of descriptions of this and allied