Evaluation of palpitations

Last reviewed: 9 Apr 2025
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.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

Joglar JA, Chung MK, Armbruster AL, et al. 2023 ACC/AHA/ACCP/HRS guideline for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2024 Jan 2;149(1):e1-e156.Full text  Abstract

Page RL, Joglar JA, Caldwell MA, et al. 2015 ACC/AHA/HRS guideline for the management of adult patients with supraventricular tachycardia: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. Circulation. 2016 Apr 5;133(14):e506-74.Full text  Abstract

Al-Khatib SM, Stevenson WG, Ackerman MJ, et al. 2017 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. Circulation. 2018 Sep 25;138(13):e272-391.Full text  Abstract

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Atrial fibrillation: diagnosis and management. Jun 2021 [internet publication].Full text

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.

Use of this content is subject to our disclaimer