What abnormal rhythm should be assumed in a patient with wide complex tachycardia, low blood pressure, and decreased consciousness?

What abnormal rhythm should be assumed in a patient with wide complex tachycardia, low blood pressure, and decreased consciousness?

• A. Sinus tachycardia with LVH
• B. Supraventricular tachycardia with aberrancy
• C. Ventricular tachycardia
• D. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with retrograde conduction

Answer: (C)

The scenario presented describes a patient experiencing wide complex tachycardia, along with low blood pressure and decreased consciousness. In such a clinical context, the most likely and concerning rhythm is ventricular tachycardia (VT). Ventricular tachycardia is characterized by a rapid heart rate originating from the ventricles, typically presenting with a wide QRS complex on an ECG. This abnormal rhythm can significantly impair the heart’s ability to effectively pump blood, often resulting in hemodynamic instability, which can manifest as low blood pressure and reduced cerebral perfusion, hence the decreased level of consciousness observed in the patient. Furthermore, the presence of a wide complex tachycardia is a key indicator that the originating rhythm may be ventricular in nature, especially when accompanied by the clinical signs of altered mental status and hypotension. Prompt recognition and treatment of VT are critical as it can lead to more severe complications, including cardiac arrest if not managed quickly. In contrast, other arrhythmias listed, while they could present with wide complex patterns, typically do not carry the same degree of urgency or clinical ramifications in this setting. For instance, supraventricular tachycardia with aberrancy (like atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response

The scenario presented describes a patient experiencing wide complex tachycardia, along with low blood pressure and decreased consciousness. In such a clinical context, the most likely and concerning rhythm is ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Ventricular tachycardia is characterized by a rapid heart rate originating from the ventricles, typically presenting with a wide QRS complex on an ECG. This abnormal rhythm can significantly impair the heart’s ability to effectively pump blood, often resulting in hemodynamic instability, which can manifest as low blood pressure and reduced cerebral perfusion, hence the decreased level of consciousness observed in the patient.

Furthermore, the presence of a wide complex tachycardia is a key indicator that the originating rhythm may be ventricular in nature, especially when accompanied by the clinical signs of altered mental status and hypotension. Prompt recognition and treatment of VT are critical as it can lead to more severe complications, including cardiac arrest if not managed quickly.

In contrast, other arrhythmias listed, while they could present with wide complex patterns, typically do not carry the same degree of urgency or clinical ramifications in this setting. For instance, supraventricular tachycardia with aberrancy (like atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response