Therapeutic use of adenosine for terminating spontaneous paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

Intravenous adenosine proved effective in eight out of ten episodes of acute spontaneous supraventricular tachycardia. AV node blockade induced by adenosine occurred 20 s after injection, and disappeared very quickly. Side-effects were transient and never serious. Therefore, it is thought that adenosine can be proposed safely for the short-term treatment of supraventricular tachycardia. Because of the different mechanisms of action, the specific side-effects observed after ATP administration are unlikely to be encountered.