AV reentrant tachycardia (AVRT)
Also calledAVRT · AV reentry tachycardia · atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia · accessory pathway tachycardia
Definition
A regular paroxysmal SVT that uses a reentrant circuit made of the atrium, the AV node, the ventricle and a separate accessory pathway (bypass tract) connecting atrium and ventricle. In orthodromic AVRT (the common form) the impulse conducts down the AV node and up the accessory pathway, giving a generally narrow QRS with a retrograde P wave usually seen in the ST segment (an RP interval over 80 ms in the 2022 Brazilian ECG guideline); in antidromic AVRT it conducts down the accessory pathway and up the AV node, producing a wide, maximally pre-excited QRS. Orthodromic rates are usually 140 to 250 bpm, and when the pathway also conducts anterogradely the resting ECG shows pre-excitation with a delta wave (Wolff-Parkinson-White).
Sources
- Page RL, Joglar JA, Caldwell MA, et al. 2015 ACC/AHA/HRS guideline for the management of adult patients with supraventricular tachycardia. Circulation. 2016;133(14):e506-e574. doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000311
- Samesima N, God EG, Kruse JCL, et al. Brazilian Society of Cardiology guidelines on the analysis and issuance of electrocardiographic reports - 2022. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2022;119(4):638-680. doi.org/10.36660/abc.20220623
- Esberger D, Jones S, Morris F. ABC of clinical electrocardiography: junctional tachycardias. BMJ. 2002;324(7338):662-665. doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7338.662
Last reviewed 2 October 2026. Every definition in the EKG Dictionary cites the guideline, consensus statement or original paper it comes from.