Evaluation of palpitations

Last reviewed: 4 Oct 2024
Last updated: 31 Oct 2024

Summary

Differentials

Common

  • Sinus tachycardia
  • Atrial tachycardia
  • Atrial flutter
  • Atrial fibrillation
  • Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia
  • Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW)
  • Premature ventricular beat
  • Premature atrial beat
  • Anxiety and panic disorder
  • Fever
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Excess alcohol use (binge drinking)
  • Caffeine
  • QT prolonging drugs
  • Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
Full details

Uncommon

  • Inappropriate sinus tachycardia
  • Idiopathic ventricular tachycardia
  • Long QT syndrome
  • Brugada syndrome
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  • VT in the setting of other structural heart disease
  • Pheochromocytoma
Full details

Contributors

Authors

Christopher Pickett, MD
Christopher Pickett

Associate Professor of Medicine

Co-Director of Electrophysiology

Director, Clinical Cardiology

Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center

University of Connecticut Health Center

Farmington

CT

Disclosures

CP declares that he has no competing interests.

Peter J. Zimetbaum, MD

Professor of Medicine

Associate Chief and Director, Clinical Cardiology

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Harvard Medical School

Boston

MA

Disclosures

PJZ declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Brian Olshansky, MD

Professor of Medicine

University of Iowa Hospitals

Iowa City

IA

Disclosures

BO declares that he has no competing interests.

Vias Markides, MB(Hons), BS(Hons), MD, FRCP

Consultant Cardiologist and Chair

Arrhythmias

Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust

Hon. Senior Lecturer

Imperial College

London

UK

Disclosures

VM declares that he has no competing interests.

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