Finding Paragraph #1

I started this blog not knowing much about Supraventricular Tachycardia. Having a brother with SVT made me want to know more about this heart condition. One of my main questions was, “What is SVT?” After researching, I found that SVT is a heart rhythm disorder. According to Dr. Fishel, who is a specialist in catheter ablations of all cardiac arrhythmias in Florida stated that, "SVT is a rhythm disorder that involves the upper chambers of the heart. SVT is the result of an abnormal region of electrical conduction in one of the two upper chambers of the heart. This extra nerve causes the normal electrical impulses in the heart to travel in a circle between the normal electrical system and the extra nerve. The heart basically shorts out during an episode of SVT." (Dr. Fishel) After Ryan was born, his doctor, Dr. Blaufox informed my mother and father that "Supraventricular Tachycardia was extremely common and its victims could be any age." (Dr. Blaufox) I went on Web MD to research more about this heart condition and found a tremendous amount of helpful information. They informed me that, "A normal heart beat is about one hundred beats per minute, but when someone experiences an SVT attack, their heart rate gets really fast. An SVT victim’s heart beat on average can reach up to three hundred beats per minute." (Web MD)

Fishel, Robert S. "SVT Ablation." Heart Rhythm Center. 2006. Web. 04 Apr. 2011. <http://www.heartrhythmcenter.com/myweb2/svt_ablation.htm>.

Blaufox, Andrew. Personal Interview by Kim Eckersley. 9 Mar 2001. 29 Mar 2011.

"Supraventricular Tachycardia-Overview." WebMD - Better Information. Better Health. Web MD, 17 Sept. 2008. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. <http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/supraventricular-tachycardia-overview>.

Attention!

I wanted to let you all know that I have a new question for my blog. My new question is, "How often is Supraventricular Tachycardia misdiagnosed? What are the results from misdiagnosis?"

Quote, Paraphrase, and Citation #5

“A teenager would think they are tired from the exertion of hours of team practice, but then find it was the early symptoms of SVT. The emotional rollercoaster a teenager goes on through those pubescent years, they see that more issues will spring up. The emotional aspect plays a major role.”

 My brother’s doctor, Dr. Andrew Blaufox, told my family and I that as Ryan got older and went through his pubescent years, he would experience some ups and downs with his heart condition. As with all teenagers, the hormones are going crazy on the inside, which involves the emotions. Along with the raging hormones, there is the peer pressure and fitting in that comes with being a teenager, which adds to the emotional stress. Emotional stress is a main cause of an SVT attack during those adolescent years. Dr. Blaufox sat my parents down and told them everything that they needed to know about SVT and Ryan’s specific case. From what the doctor had told us, we knew that Ryan would be different; a special kind of different. Already, at an early age, he feels left out sometimes because he is limited to what he can do. We have had to sit him down and explain to him his situation and he understands to some extent. He had dreams of joining the police force, but we had to tell him he could not. He had dreams of joining the military, but we had to tell him he could not. Ryan’s situation is not very different from many others. There are people out there, right now, that have SVT and are not even aware. They are strongly urged to get tests run before it is too late.

Blaufox, Andrew. Personal Interview by Kim Eckersley. 9 Mar 2001. 29 Mar 2011.

Quote, Paraphrase, and Citation #4

“Some children that are diagnosed with SVT at birth grow up to play some sports and the parents feel that it is okay because they have not had an attack in recent years. But, with SVT, an attack can come on at any time. Emotional stress and physical activities, as in strenuous athletics in high school, cause SVT attacks. As a doctor, I do not recommend these types of athletic programs.

I may have been only six years old, but with what I experienced with Ryan, it was hard to forget everything that was said and done. Ryan’s doctor, Dr. Andrew Blaufox, was extremely supportive and was always there to answer any questions that my family and I had. One of our main concerns was that with Ryan being a boy, he was going to want to play sports and be “rough and rowdy.” All little boys are mischievous and always into something. Dr. Blaufox gave us his medical opinion that Ryan should not play sports, but he is to stay healthy. His medical opinion for Ryan applies to all victims of SVT. Whether the victim is a child, a teenager, or an adult, it is important for them not to participate in strenuous physical activities. The strenuous physical activities put a strain on the heart and make it go into SVT, which causes an attack and cardiac arrest; cardiac arrest, if not tended to immediately and properly, will lead to death.

Blaufox, Andrew. Personal Interview by Kim Eckersley. 9 Mar 2001. 29 Mar 2011.

Graph/Chart/Map and Citation

This graph shows Supraventricular Tachycardia and Ventricular Tachycardia cycle lengths. It shows the number of episodes during the cycle lengths in both types of Tachycardia. TP stands for true positive and SVT, while TN stands for true negative and is VT. The higher the cycle length, the higher the number of episodes an SVT victim has. 

"Morphology Discrimination Criterion Wavelet Improves Rhythm Discrimination in Single-chamber Implantable Cardioverter-defibrillators: Spanish Register of Morphology Discrimination Criterion Wavelet (REMEDIO)." Oxford Journals | Medicine | EP Europace. John Camm, 2 May 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://europace.oxfordjournals.org/content/11/6/727.full>.

Quote, Summary, Source Analysis, and Citation #3

"To find your triggers, keep a diary of your heart rate and your symptoms."

I chose this quote because each person is different. The symptoms are all the same, but what brings on the symptoms and the attacks can differ depending on the person. For example, if someone that has SVT drinks a small amount of alcohol and is perfectly fine, that does not necessarily mean that someone else with SVT will be perfectly fine with drinking a small amount of alcohol. It is important to keep a diary or a journal to record your day to day routines, so that you can keep up with your symptoms, your heart rate, and your attacks. If you record your symptoms, your heart rate, and your attacks properly, you will know what your triggers are. Once you know what your triggers are, you can avoid them as much as possible. It is essential that a victim of Supraventricular Tachycardia keep a diary or journal; it will benefit them significantly.

Staff, Healthwise. "Supraventricular Tachycardia."Sanford Health. Healthwise, 9 Aug 2010. Web. 23 Mar 2011. <http://www.sanfordhealth.org/HealthInformation/Healthwise/Topic/ps1684#ps1687>.

Photo, Caption, and Citation #3

This picture is of a doctor giving an ECG test with an ECG machine to a patient. ECG stands for Echocardiogram, which is a test where an ultrasound is used to examine the heart. It gives accurate measurements of the chambers in the heart and displays a cross-sectional “slice” of the beating heart, including the chambers, valves, and the major blood vessels that exit from the left and right ventricles. They use ECG tests to monitor the heart when the patient has a heart condition or heart disease, such as SVT.

Jerome, Louie. "Common Medical Abbreviations and What They Really Mean." Healthmad. Healthmad, 11 Feb. 2008. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://healthmad.com/conditions-and-diseases/common-medical-abbreviations-and-what-they-really-mean/>.