The PSVT medical abbreviation stands for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, a fast, regular heart rhythm that begins and ends suddenly and starts above the heart's lower chambers. People often describe it as a racing or pounding heartbeat that switches on without warning.
PSVT appears in emergency notes, cardiology letters and EKG reports. Below, each word in the name is unpacked, along with how it relates to SVT, what a typical emergency note says, and the shorthand that often travels with it.
At a glance
Stands for
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardiaParent term
SVT, supraventricular tachycardiaMain types
AVNRT (most common), AVRT, some atrial tachycardiasTypical rate
Often about 150 to 250 beats per minuteSpecialty
Emergency medicine, cardiology, electrophysiologyDo not confuse with
Each word of the PSVT medical abbreviation
| Letters | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| P | Paroxysmal | Comes in sudden episodes that start and stop abruptly |
| S | Supra | Above |
| V | Ventricular | The ventricles, the heart's lower pumping chambers |
| T | Tachycardia | A quick heart rate, above roughly 100 beats each minute |
Put together, PSVT is a sudden fast rhythm that starts in tissue above the ventricles, usually involving the upper chambers or the electrical junction between upper and lower chambers.
What happens during an episode
Most PSVT is caused by a short circuit, an extra electrical loop that lets a signal spin around and around. The most common type, AV nodal reentrant tachycardia or AVNRT, uses a loop inside or near the AV node. AV reentrant tachycardia, AVRT, uses an extra pathway between the upper and lower chambers.
Symptoms can include a racing heartbeat, a pounding feeling in the neck, lightheadedness, chest discomfort and shortness of breath. Episodes may last seconds or hours and often stop as abruptly as they started.
Reading a PSVT emergency note
| Shorthand | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ED | Emergency department |
| PSVT rate 190 | The rhythm is PSVT at 190 beats per minute |
| vagal maneuvers failed | Techniques such as bearing down did not stop it |
| adenosine 6 mg IV given | A short acting heart medicine was given into a vein, as an example of format |
After conversion: "Converted to NSR, rate 78, pt asymptomatic." The heart returned to normal sinus rhythm and the patient feels well.
PSVT compared with SVT and other fast rhythms
SVT is the umbrella term for fast rhythms from above the ventricles. PSVT names the sudden on and off kind. Many clinicians use SVT and PSVT almost interchangeably in daily speech. Atrial fibrillation is also supraventricular but is irregular, and its own shorthand includes PAF for the paroxysmal form. NSVT is a fast rhythm from the ventricles themselves and is a different problem. Sinus tachycardia is the heart's usual rhythm running quickly, as happens with fever or exercise.
How PSVT is usually managed
Treatment depends on how often episodes happen and how they affect daily life. In the moment, clinicians may coach vagal maneuvers, which stimulate a nerve that slows the heart's electrical junction. If those do not work, adenosine is often given in the emergency department. People with frequent episodes may take daily medicines such as beta blockers or calcium channel blockers, or have catheter ablation, written as RFA when radiofrequency energy is used, which can often stop episodes long term.
The diagnosis abbreviations page has more rhythm and heart shorthand.
Questions to ask after a PSVT diagnosis
Helpful questions include which type of PSVT was seen, whether a monitor is needed to capture more episodes, which vagal maneuvers are safe to try at home, when to seek emergency care, and whether ablation is worth discussing. Some people also ask whether caffeine, alcohol, poor sleep or certain cold medicines affect their episodes.
This is general reference information about a heart rhythm term. Advice about your own episodes and treatment should come from your cardiologist or emergency clinician.
Frequently asked questions
What does PSVT stand for?
PSVT stands for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. It is a fast, regular heart rhythm that starts above the ventricles and begins and ends suddenly.
Is PSVT the same as SVT?
PSVT is a type of SVT. SVT is the broad family of fast rhythms from above the ventricles, and PSVT describes the kind that comes in sudden episodes.
What does paroxysmal mean in medicine?
Paroxysmal means occurring in sudden attacks or episodes that start and stop abruptly, with normal periods in between.
How fast is the heart rate in PSVT?
It is usually around 150 to 250 beats per minute, though it varies by person and type.