Sinus tachycardia — an educational nurse reference.
What sinus tach looks like on a strip and why the underlying cause matters more than the number.
Recognizing this rhythm at the bedside means matching pattern, intervals, and clinical context. This page covers the educational pattern; calipers and your clinical judgment carry it across the line.
What RN PocketPal does
Identifying traits
- Rate: > 100 bpm (typically 100–150 in adults)
- Rhythm: regular
- P wave: present, upright in lead II, before every QRS
- PR interval: 0.12–0.20 sec
- QRS: < 0.12 sec
Verify with
- Patient's clinical context: pain, fever, hypovolemia, anxiety, beta-agonist use.
- Trend: a rising sinus tach is often the body's first warning of decompensation.
- 12-lead if onset is sudden or rate is sustained > 150.
Who it’s for
For Nurses and nursing students learning rhythm interpretation.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I tell sinus tach from SVT?
- Sinus tach has visible P waves before each QRS and ramps up; SVT often has hidden or retrograde P waves and onset is abrupt. Rate alone doesn't distinguish — morphology and onset do.
- Is sinus tach treated with rate control?
- Usually not directly — treat the cause (volume, pain, fever, hypoxia). Slowing a compensatory sinus tach is rarely the right move.
- What rate triggers escalation?
- Depends on patient and context. A sustained rate > 130–140 in an adult without obvious cause warrants clinician notification.
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Reviewed by RN PocketPal Clinical Team, RN. Last reviewed .