Student with sudden and worsening ‘palpitations’ seeks your help

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In print

Student with sudden and worsening ‘palpitations’ seeks your help

Chris Ellis

Chris Ellis

Heart rate

A teenager has a 30-minute episode of increased heart rate with chest tightness, which leaves him weak and faint. Auckland cardiologist Chris Ellis reviews the patient history, the ECG features, the cause and its management

Key points Approximately two in 1000 people have the ECG signs of the Wolff–Parkinson–White (WPW) syndrome, with two-thirds experiencing cardiac