Some patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) have no symptoms. Others experience symptoms such as:

Physicians who examine a patient with VT may detect low blood pressure (hypotension). In the most severe cases, patients with VT will go into cardiac arrest and collapse. Defibrillation must occur immediately in order to save a patient’s life once he or she has gone into cardiac arrest.

Ventricular tachycardia may also be implicated when drivers lose consciousness or “fall asleep” behind the wheel. Other heart-related conditions that could lead to loss of consciousness while driving (or near-loss of consciousness and pulling off the road) include syncope, supraventricular tachycardia and/or advanced AV block.