SVT
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Supraventricular tachycardia |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical |
SVT has two meanings. It stands for Supraventricular tachycardia (cardiology) or Superficial vein thrombosis (cardiology).
Meanings of SVT at a glance
| # | SVT stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supraventricular tachycardia | Medical › Cardiology |
| 2 | Superficial vein thrombosis | Medical › Cardiology |
1. Supraventricular tachycardia
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Rapid heart rhythm originating above the ventricles, in practice usually meaning a sudden-onset, regular, narrow-complex reentrant tachycardia such as AVNRT or AVRT. Rates are typically 150 to 250 beats per minute, and episodes may stop with vagal maneuvers or IV adenosine.
Example: Pt converted from SVT at 210 bpm to sinus rhythm after a modified Valsalva maneuver.
Strictly, SVT includes every tachycardia arising above the ventricles, atrial fibrillation and flutter among them. The modified Valsalva maneuver (strain, then lie flat with legs raised), tested in the REVERT trial (2015), restores sinus rhythm far more often than the standard version. Catheter ablation cures most recurrent cases. In vascular notes SVT can instead mean superficial vein thrombosis.
2. Superficial vein thrombosis
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Clot in a vein near the skin surface, most often the great saphenous vein of the leg, causing a tender, red, cord-like streak. Usually less dangerous than deep vein thrombosis, but a clot 5 cm or longer or close to the saphenofemoral junction may need anticoagulation because it can extend into the deep veins.
Example: Duplex: SVT of the left great saphenous vein, 6 cm long, well below the junction; fondaparinux started for 45 days.
Older texts call it superficial thrombophlebitis. Because SVT usually means supraventricular tachycardia, vascular and hematology notes often spell out "superficial vein thrombosis" to avoid confusion. The CALISTO trial (2010) supported 45 days of low-dose fondaparinux for qualifying leg clots. Compression and anti-inflammatory drugs are used for small, distal clots.
Related abbreviations
More cardiology abbreviations
- SEM – Systolic ejection murmur
- SSS – Sick sinus syndrome
- ST – ST segment
- STEMI – ST-elevation myocardial infarction
- SVG – Saphenous vein graft
- SVR – Systemic vascular resistance
- TAA – Thoracic aortic aneurysm
- TAPSE – Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion
- TAVI – Transcatheter aortic valve implantation
- TAVR – Transcatheter aortic valve replacement
- TCP – Transcutaneous pacing
- TdP – Torsades de pointes (twisting of the points)
See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.