Impact on a Person’s Daily Life During Episodes of Supraventricular Tachycardia

PURPOSE: To describe the impact of episodes of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) on a person's daily life from a holistic perspective. METHOD: A deductive descriptive design was used. Twenty semistructured interviews (12 women and 8 men) were conducted before planned ablation of SVT and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Living with SVT had a complex impact on daily life. Initially, the patients described an inhibited existence due to demands to give up things that they had previously been doing, in case the unpredictable episodes of SVT would occur. The episodes caused fatigue and worry, which together created a barrier for living life to the full by making the person give up undertakings. The patients constantly needed to find short-term and long-term strategies to prevent new episodes from happening. CONCLUSION: Episodes of SVT entail a complex life situation as the person's entire existence is affected in daily life. To understand the impact of SVT on daily life, nurses and other health care professionals need increased knowledge and understanding to be able to provide support through relevant information and take optimal care measures.