INTRODUCTION
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) describes tachycardias with abrupt onset and termination of regular tachycardias originating above the bundle of His [1]. This can include atrial tachycardia, AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT), and AV reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) [1]. The prevalence of PSVT has been reported to be approximately 2.29 per 1000 persons and an incidence of 36 per 100,000 persons per year [2]. Symptoms of PSVT vary and include palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, near syncope, diaphoresis, and anxiety [2].
PSVT has been associated with anxiety and panic disorders. This association may be due to the sudden onset of tachycardia causing increased anxiety and stress levels [3, 4, 5]. However, the symptoms of PSVT appear to mimic anxiety and may offer another etiology for this relationship. One study found that 67% of patients with PSVT could be diagnosed with panic disorder based on the previous DSM-IV criteria [6]. In the same study, it was found that physicians attributed the symptoms of PSVT to panic, anxiety, or stress in 54% of patients [6]. Multiple studies have found that catheter ablation for PSVT decreased stress and anxiety levels [7, 8, 9,10]. However, these studies utilized symptomatic scoring systems such as the WHOQOL-BRIEF domain scores and the SF-36 Questionnaire. To date, there has not been a study examining the effects of PSVT ablation on anxiety related medication usage.
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of catheter ablation on psychiatric medication utilization in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. We hypothesize that there will be a decrease in the number of psychiatric medications utilization post-ablation.