The value of adrenaline in the induction of supraventricular tachycardia in the electrophysiological laboratory
Open Access
- 25 March 2014
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in EP Europace
- Vol. 16 (11), 1634-1638
- https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euu042
Abstract
The most commonly used drug for the facilitation of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) induction in the electrophysiological (EP) laboratory is isoprenaline. Despite isoprenaline's apparent indispensability, availability has been problematic in some European countries. Alternative sympatomimethic drugs such as adrenaline have therefore been tried. However, no studies have determined the sensitivity and specificity of adrenaline for the induction of SVT. The objective of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of adrenaline for the induction of SVT. Between February 2010 and July 2013, 336 patients underwent an EP study for prior documented SVT. In 66 patients, adrenaline was infused because tachycardia was not induced under basal conditions. This group was compared with 30 control subjects with no history of SVT. Programmed atrial stimulation was carried out during baseline state and repeated after an infusion of adrenaline (dose ranging from 0.05 mcg/kgc to 0.3 mcg/kgc). The endpoint was the induction of SVT. Among 66 patients with a history of SVT but no induction under basal conditions, adrenaline facilitated induction in 54 patients (82%, P < 0.001). Among the 30 control subjects, SVT was not induced in any patient (0%) after infusion. Adrenaline was generally well tolerated, except for two patients (3.0%), where it had to be discontinued due to headache and high blood pressure or lumbar pain. Adrenaline infusion has a high sensitivity (82%) and specificity (100%) for the induction of SVT in patients with prior documented SVT. Therefore, it could serve as an acceptable alternative to isoprenaline, when the latter is not available.This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- Is isoproterenol really required during electrophysiological study in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome?Journal of Electrocardiology, 2013
- Inducibility of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation by Isoproterenol and its Relation to the Mode of Onset of Atrial FibrillationJournal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology, 2008
- Differential effects of atropine and isoproterenol on inducibility of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology, 2001
- Epinephrine-induced changes in serum potassium and cardiac repolarization and effects of pretreatment with propranolol and diltiazemThe American Journal of Cardiology, 1996
- Role of intravenous isoproterenol in the electrophysiologic induction of atrioventricular node reentrant tachycardia in patients with dual atrioventricular node pathwaysThe American Journal of Cardiology, 1989
- Isoprenaline as an aid to the induction of catecholamine dependent supraventricular tachycardias during programmed stimulation.Heart, 1989
- Effects of epinephrine in patients with an accessory atrioventricular connection treated with quinidineThe American Journal of Cardiology, 1988
- Electrophysiologic effects of epinephrine in humansJournal of the American College of Cardiology, 1988
- Plasma Catecholamines and Blood Substrate Concentrations: Studies in Insulin Induced Hypoglycaemia and after Adrenaline InfusionsEuropean Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1975
- A Sensitive and Specific Double-Isotope Derivative Method for the Determination of Catecholamines in Biological SpecimensThe American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 1968