St Vincents Private Hospitals

Wolff Parkinson White syndrome is a type of heart condition that causes your heart to beat abnormally fast for a period of time. The syndrome occurs in patients that have been born with a specific heart defect which impacts how electrical pulses travel through the heart. Ordinarily, an organised pattern of electrical signals control your heartbeat, by repeatedly following the same electrical pathway. This system enables the blood to pass through the heart. Patients with Wolff Parkinson White syndrome have an abnormal extra signal pathway which shortcuts the original circuit. Electrical pulses then travel through the heart too quickly, and cause the heart to beat too rapidly. This type of rapid heart activity is known as supraventricular tachycardia. It can cause skipped heartbeats, dizziness, fainting and light-headedness. Although rare, the rapid heartrate can potentially result in cardiac arrest. 

Symptoms and causes

Wolff Parkinson White syndrome is present from birth, although symptoms may not appear until later in life. It can be passed down genetically, or the condition may have developed from an unknown cause. There is an increased risk for patients of Chinese descent. The symptoms can vary significantly by patient, with some experiencing none at all. Symptoms can last for a few seconds, minutes, hours or days and generally include:

• Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
• Chest pain
• Dizziness or fainting
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Anxiety
  
  

How is it diagnosed?

If you have been experiencing periods of rapid heartbeat activity or palpitations, your doctor may suggest investigating the electrical activity in your heart to understand more about how it is working. Testing usually includes:

• ECG (electrocardiogram) – this test is capable of detecting the abnormal Wolff Parkinson White syndrome pattern even when the heart rate is in a normal pattern.
• Holter monitor – this portable device checks your heart activity and records the heart rhythm over a longer period of time.
• Electrophysiological studies (EPS) – an electrical impulse is used to make your heart beat at different speeds to identify the type and cause of irregular heartbeat.

How is it treated?

For patients that are experiencing periods of rapid heartrate activity (tachycardia), Wolff Parkinson White syndrome treatment focuses on prevention and management of symptoms. In the first instance, there are some basic physical movements that can help relax your vagus nerve which will slow down the electrical pulses. These are known as vagal manoeuvres and include coughing, cold showers, the gag reflex, holding knees to chest and breathing out hard while pinching the nose tightly. Other treatment options include:

• Cardiac ablation – radiofrequency energy is applied to the heart tissue so that the scar tissue blocks the electrical signals
• Medication – this can be used to control the speed of the electrical messages being sent to your heart
• Cardioversion – electrical impulses are sent to your heart to shock it back into a normal pattern