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BMJ Practice Pointer: Orthostatic Tachycardia after Covid-19

Date

Espinosa-Gonzalez A.B, Master H, Gall N, Halpin S, Rogers N, Greenhalgh T.
Orthostatic tachycardia after covid-19.
BMJ 2023; 380:e073488. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2022-073488 (PDF)

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This Practice Pointer, Orthostatic tachycardia after covid-19, in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) is an output from workstream 1 of the LOCOMOTION study. It offers an overview of orthostatic tachycardia following covid-19, including a summary of the key steps for diagnosis and management. Postural orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) involves a significant increase in heart rate or significantly elevated heart rate upon standing. It may occur after covid-19 and can cause substantial functional impairment. It is part of the broad category of “dysautonomia” that encompasses several conditions.

Click here to read the publication

 

The publication provides information on:

  • How tachycardia presents in patients with Long COVID. - Including three fictional cases (based on multiple similar cases) of presentations of tachycardia following covid-19.
  • Clinical assessment.
  • How to test for PoTS in primary care.
  • What non-drug treatments are available.
  • What drugs could be tried.
  • What can patients do for themselves. - Including resources for patients: PoTS support group, general dysautonomia resources, and general Long COVID resources.
  • When patients should be referred to a specialist.
  • What the outlook is for patients.
  • AND an infographic on how to assess and manage the cardiac symptoms!

 

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aAP Study

PoTS is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. An at-home test for autonomic dysfunction has been developed, the adapted Autonomic Profile (aAP). We are conducting a study as part of the LOCOMOTION study to obtain normal values for the aAP - aAP Study for Healthy Volunteers. This will help define abnormal value cut-offs for patients with Long COVID.