Management of SVT downunder: is it all upside-down?

This paper describes a retrospective study of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) management in the pre-hospital setting of an Australian embulance service. Using patient data from the Victoria Ambulance Clinical Information System (VACIS), accuracy of rhythm recognition and the efficacy of differing treatment modalities in reverting SVT was examined; additional analysis examined patient characteristics, response data and adverse events (AE) related to treatment.

Despite a confusing inaccuracy in the abstract, where in the results section it states that ‘933 patients were enrolled, including 882 (94.5%) adults and 564 (60.5%) women’; a quick glance at the comprehensive results data in Table 1 reveals a total sample of 933; 882 adults (of which 564 were women) and 51 paediatric (defined as <18 years old).Furthermore, the reader should be aware that this study is conducted in a two-tier paramedic system, that of Victoria, Australia, which employs ALS paramedics and a more extensively trained mobile intensive care ambulance (MICA) cohort; it is notable that within their Clinical Practice Guidelines only MICA paramedics were authorised to provide specific treatment for patients presenting with SVT.