How is AVNRT diagnosed?
How is AVNRT diagnosed?
To diagnose AVNRT or another arrhythmia, a healthcare provider will perform:
- Medical history: This involves questions about medical problems you’ve had, recent symptoms and any medications or other substances you use.
- Physical exam: The healthcare provider will measure your vital signs, including breathing rate, blood pressure and heart rate. They will also listen to your heart.
- Electrocardiogram: An electrocardiogram (EKG) measures the electrical activity in the heart, including the timing and duration of each heartbeat. This can be used to help confirm the diagnosis during an acute episode.
The healthcare provider may also order other tests to assess your heart:
- Blood tests to identify any other problems that might be affecting your heart.
- Echocardiogram (echo), which produces images of your heart to detect any problems with its structure or pumping action.
- Holter monitor, or other ambulatory monitor, a device you wear for a few days to monitor heart rhythm as you go about your daily routine. This type of device can detect arrhythmia episodes that did not occur during the EKG.
- Exercise stress test, which monitors your heart’s activity while you exercise on a treadmill or stationary bike.
- Electrophysiological (EP) study and cardiac mapping is an invasive procedure that can be used to determine the exact etiology and location of the arrhythmia.