Joining us today to discuss Manual Methods to Differentiate Wide Complex Tachycardias is Adam M. May, M.D. cardiac intensivist, and assistant professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.
Specific topics discussed:
• Can you give us a broad overview of the different types of manual methods that clinicians have at their disposal to differentiate WCTs?
• You mentioned multi-step algorithms, which are commonly recognized and one of the utilized manual approaches. What do you think are the more common algorithms, and maybe you can share some of the overarching rationale behind their formulation?
• You made mention of VT AS A DEFAULT DIAGNOSIS. What do you mean by this and what is its rationale?
• How about some of the simple one-step methods such as the R-wave-to-peak time? Can you define this method, and share what you think about this method along with how you use it clinically?
• It appears that in many cases, VT and SWCT cannot be confidently distinguished using a single criterion alone and so many authors devise alternative approaches (like point-based algorithms). Can you go over the rationale for these methods and describe some of the options that might be helpful to use in clinical practice?
