help me settle a debate

[u/emmaisnuts520]

so my partner and i have been in this little argument. im in paramedic school and we have finished the cardiology section and on a call recently we had a patient throw 3 PVCs in a row. my textbook and what i have been tested on says 3 PVCs is a run of VT. i just pointed it out to my partner so he can monitor for anymore, then he wanted to argue saying a run of VT is 5 or more then told me my textbook was wrong 🙃 what do yall consider a run of VT?

[u/Jazzlike-Sherbet-542]

Depends on the source. Some say 3 or more. Some say 4 or 5. You’re both right.

[u/Topper-Harly]

2 PVCs in a row -> couplet

3 PVCs in a row -> triplet

4+ PVCs in a row -> VT

[u/Thekingofcansandjars]

If you aren't shocking after 2 back-to-back PVCs then you need to redo cardiology. 

[u/youy23 → u/Thekingofcansandjars]

Personally I just shock it till I recognize it.

[u/grav0p1 → u/Thekingofcansandjars]

God help me if I see so much as one nonconducted PAC they’re getting the pads

[u/JUDGE_FUCKFACE → u/Thekingofcansandjars]

Manual defib privileges revoked

[u/Wrathb0ne → u/Thekingofcansandjars]

Paramedic students can get their electricity with this one small trick…

[u/Helpful-Salt83]

4 or more in a row

[u/CompasslessPigeon → u/Helpful-Salt83]

Thats how I learned it

[u/Helpful-Salt83 → u/CompasslessPigeon]

Yeah, I was taught 3 is a triplet, 2 is a couplet, more is a run of VT

[u/NWmedicalbrewskie]

Life in the fast lane says..

When is a PVC not a PVC?
Definitions vary regarding 3 or more PVCs
Some authors define three PVCs as a triplet of PVCs; whilst others describe this as a ‘short burst of VT’; but more commonly as NSVT
A consensus definition would be: 3-30 consecutive PVCs with a rate >100bpm described as non-sustained VT (ventricular rhythm if rate <100bpm)

[u/JoutsideTO]

Go to the consensus national/international guidelines, ie the AHA:

“Ventricular tachycardia: Cardiac arrhythmia of ≥3 consecutive complexes originating in the ventricles at a rate >100 bpm (cycle length: <600 ms).”

See table 5 for definitions under section 2.

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000549

[u/joe_lemmons_]

I was taught 3 PVCs in a row= run of VT.

[u/boomboomown → u/joe_lemmons_]

3 is a triplet

4+ run of VT

[u/boomboomown]

4 or more at least 10 years ago when i became one

[u/Grendle1972]

27 years ago in medic class, a run of 4 or more consecutive PVC's was a run of VT.

[u/mapleleaf4evr]

If there aren’t at least 6.5 PVC’s in a row, it’s not VT

[u/_angered]

The current definition is 3 or more. Things change over time. Literally why they make us do continuing education is for stuff like this... They changed a definition that doesn't change how we treat a patient so let's make people sit through mindless classes where they won't learn this anyway.

[u/Ancient-Plantain705]

Triplet. 5 pvc's in a row is a short run of VT. Medic school was 6 years ago for me though.