This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (5) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Al-Khafaji, A. Articles by Greenberg, M. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Al-Khafaji, A. Articles by Greenberg, M. L. Related Collections Cardiovascular Heart Monitoring (Cardiac)

---

CARDIOVASCULAR ANESTHESIA

Bidirectional Tachycardia: Two Cases and a Review

Ali Al-Khafaji, MD^*, Howard L. Corwin, MD^*, Gur C. Adhar, MD, and Mark L. Greenberg, MD

*Section of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, and Section of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire; and Section of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Ali Al-Khafaji, MD, Dartmouth Medical School, Section of Critical Care Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Dr., Lebanon, NH 03756. Address e-mail to Alkhafaji{at}hotmail.com

IMPLICATIONS: Bidirectional tachycardia is an uncommon and unique arrhythmia. It typically occurs in patients with digitalis toxicity, but it can also be associated with other causes. There has been controversy regarding the origin and the mechanism of bidirectional tachycardia. Treatment of bidirectional tachycardia involves the correction of reversible factors and the use of some antiarrhythmic medication.