Supraventricular tachyarrhythmias: atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation.

Symptoms range from mild palpitations to overt cardiac failure and cardiogenic shock, depending on the ventricular rate and the patient's underlying cardiac status. Drug therapy is the mainstay treatment. In atrial fibrillation, digoxin is used to control the ventricular response and therefore improve cardiac function. Verapamil may also be used for this purpose.