AVNRT
Pronunciation: AY-vee-en-are-tee
Also written as: AVNRT — atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia
Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, a common supraventricular tachycardia involving a reentrant circuit within the AV node.
Full Definition
Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common form of regular supraventricular tachycardia, characterized by a reentrant circuit that involves dual pathways within or around the AV node. The typical form involves antegrade conduction down a slow pathway and retrograde conduction up a fast pathway, resulting in simultaneous atrial and ventricular activation. This simultaneous activation often makes P waves invisible on the surface ECG or causes them to appear as pseudo R' waves in lead V1. AVNRT typically presents with sudden onset and termination, and can often be terminated with vagal maneuvers. Definitive treatment involves slow pathway ablation, which has a high success rate and low complication risk.
Usage
Usage note: Write in capitals without periods; distinguish from AVRT in differential diagnosis discussions.
In Context
- "Electrophysiology study confirmed typical AVNRT with successful slow pathway ablation." — Procedure report
- "The patient's recurrent palpitations were attributed to episodes of AVNRT documented on event monitoring." — Clinical assessment