Tachycardia causes

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor-In-Chief: M.Umer Tariq [2]

Causes

Common Causes

The most common cause of the tachycardia is orthostatic hypotension (also called postural hypotension), a sudden drop of blood pressure that occurs with a change in body position (e.g., going from lying down to standing up). When tachycardia occurs for this reason, it is called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Fever, hyperventilation and infection leading to sepsis are also common causes of tachycardia, primarily due to increase in metabolic demands and compensatory increase in heart rate.

An increase in sympathetic nervous system stimulation causes the heart rate to increase, both by the direct action of sympathetic nerve fibers on the heart and by causing the endocrine system to release hormones such as epinephrine (adrenaline), which have a similar effect. Increased sympathetic stimulation is usually due to physical or psychological stress (the so-called fight or flight response), but can also be induced by stimulants such as amphetamines.

Endocrine disorders such as pheochromocytoma can cause epinephrine release and tachycardia independent of the nervous system. Hyperthyroidism is also known to cause tachycardia.

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular	Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, AV Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia, AV-dissociation, Bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome, Cardiac amyloidosis, Cardiac arrhythmia, Cardiac tamponade, Cardiogenic shock, Congestive Heart Failure, Ebstein's Anomaly of the Tricuspid Valve, Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia, Inferior vena cava syndrome, Multifocal atrial tachycardia, Nonparoxysmal Junctional Tachycardia, Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, Premature ventricular contractions, Pulseless ventricular tachycardia, Torsade de pointes, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
Chemical / poisoning	3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate, Arsenic Poisoning, Bothrops, Caffeine, Carbon monoxide poisoning, Cardiac effects of insect bites, Hydroxyethyl starch, Mercury poisoning, Methadone withdrawl, Scombroid
Dermatologic	No underlying causes
Drug Side Effect	Amlodipine, Amphetamine, Anticholinergic, Antipsychotic, Atropine, Abciximab (patient information), Benzatropine, Biperiden, Bupropion, Caspofungin, Clofarabine, Clomipramine, Clonidine, Daptomycin, Desflurane, Desoxyn, Diethylcathinone, Diflunisal, Digoxin, Diltiazem, Dimenhydrinate, Diphenhydramine, Doxapram, Doxepin, Ephedrine, Epinephrine, Ethcathinone, Iloprost, Imipramine, Isoproterenol, Isosorbide mononitrate, Levomepromazine, Levomethamphetamine, Levosimendan, Lomotil, Maprotiline, Methcathinone, Methylphenidate, Metoclopramide, Milnacipran, Minoxidil, Modafinil, Motofen, Nalbuphine, Nalmefene, Nialamide, Neuromuscular-blocking drugs, Olanzapine, Opioid, Paliperidone, Papaverine, Phentermine, Pipradrol, Procainamide (patient information), Procyclidine hydrochloride, Propantheline, Pseudoephedrine, Sumatriptan, Terbutaline, Tizanidine, Trazodone, Tuaminoheptane, Vardenafil, Zopiclone withdrawl
Ear Nose Throat	No underlying causes
Endocrine	Graves' Disease, Toxic multinodular goitre
Environmental	No underlying causes
Gastroenterologic	Accessory pancreas, Gastroenteritis, Megacolon, Peritonitis, Retroperitoneal hematoma, Ulcerative colitis
Genetic	Brugada syndrome, Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, Costello syndrome
Hematologic	Ruptured spleen, Sickle-cell disease
Iatrogenic	Blood transfusion
Infectious Disease	Clostridium Difficile, Cotton fever, Ebola, Lassa fever, Malaria, Scarlet fever, Tuberculosis
Musculoskeletal / Ortho	No underlying causes
Neurologic	Autonomic neuropathy, Dysautonomia
Nutritional / Metabolic	Adams Nance syndrome, Acute Porphyria, Beriberi Heart Disease, Betel nut, Foods containing tyramine, Hypoglycemia, Hypomagnesemia, Metabolic acidosis
Obstetric/Gynecologic	Aortocaval compression syndrome, Fetal distress, Omphalitis
Oncologic	Insulinoma
Opthalmologic	No underlying causes
Overdose / Toxicity	Aconitum, Benzylpiperazine, Bupropion, Cocaine, Diflunisal, Imipramine, Lomotil, Long-term effects of alcohol, Procainamide, Procyclidine hydrochloride, Xanthine
Psychiatric	No underlying causes
Pulmonary	Acute Chest Syndrome, Asthma, Community-acquired pneumonia, Hemothorax
Renal / Electrolyte	No underlying causes
Rheum / Immune / Allergy	Kawasaki disease
Sexual	No underlying causes
Trauma	Commotio cordis
Urologic	No underlying causes
Miscellaneous	Chronic fatigue syndrome, Dipping tobacco, Hyperthermia, Malignant hyperthermia, Pheochromocytoma, Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

Causes in Alphabetical Order

3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate Abciximab (patient information) Accessory pancreas Aconitum Acute Chest Syndrome Acute Porphyria Adams Nance syndrome Alcohol Withdrawal Amanita phalloides Amlodipine Amphetamine Anticholinergic Antipsychotic Aortocaval compression syndrome Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia Arsenic Poisoning Ashman phenomenon Asthma Atropine Autonomic neuropathy AV Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia AV-dissociation AVNRT Benzatropine Benzylpiperazine Beriberi Heart Disease Betel nut Biperiden Blood transfusion Bothrops Bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome Brugada syndrome Bupropion Caffeine Carbon monoxide poisoning Cardiac amyloidosis Cardiac arrhythmia Cardiac effects of insect bites Cardiac tamponade Cardiogenic shock Cardiovascular Effects of Cocaine Caspofungin Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia Chlorprothixene Chronic fatigue syndrome Clofarabine Clomipramine Clonidine Clostridium Difficile Commotio cordis Community-acquired pneumonia Congestive Heart Failure Costello syndrome Cotton fever Daptomycin Desflurane Desoxyn Diethylcathinone Diflunisal Digoxin Diltiazem Dimenhydrinate Diphenhydramine Dipping tobacco Dosulepin hydrochloride Doxapram Doxepin Dysautonomia Ebola Ebstein's Anomaly of the Tricuspid Valve Ephedrine Epinephrine Ethcathinone Fetal distress Foods containing tyramine Gastroenteritis Graves' Disease Hemothorax Hydroxyethyl starch Hyperthermia Hyperthyroidism

Hypoglycemia Hypomagnesemia Iloprost Imipramine Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia Inferior vena cava syndrome Insulinoma Isoproterenol Isosorbide mononitrate Kawasaki disease Lassa fever Levomepromazine Levomethamphetamine Levosimendan Lomotil Long-term effects of alcohol Malaria Malignant hyperthermia Maprotiline Megacolon Mercury poisoning Metabolic acidosis Methadone withdrawl Methcathinone Methylphenidate Metoclopramide Milnacipran Minoxidil Modafinil Motofen Multifocal atrial tachycardia Nalbuphine Nalmefene Neuromuscular-blocking drugs Nialamide Nonparoxysmal Junctional Tachycardia Olanzapine Omphalitis Opioid Paliperidone Palytoxin Papaverine Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia Peritonitis Phentermine Pheochromocytoma Pipradrol Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia Porphyria Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome Premature ventricular contractions Procainamide (patient information) Procyclidine hydrochloride Propantheline Pseudoephedrine Pulseless ventricular tachycardia Retroperitoneal hematoma Ruptured spleen Scarlet fever Scombroid Scopolamine Sepsis Serotonin syndrome Sick sinus syndrome Sickle-cell disease Sumatriptan Supraventricular Tachycardias Terbutaline Tizanidine Torsade de pointes Toxic multinodular goitre Toxidrome Trazodone Tuaminoheptane Tuberculosis Ulcerative colitis Vardenafil White coat hypertension Wide Complex Tachycardias Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome Xanthine Zopiclone withdrawl

References

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