Which option best describes the treatment for stable VT with a pulse?

• A. Synchronized cardioversion
• B. Amiodarone
• C. Defibrillation
• D. Coronary bypass surgery

Answer: (B)

When ventricular tachycardia occurs with a pulse but the patient is stable, the goal is to suppress the abnormal rhythm with a medication rather than shocking right away. An IV antiarrhythmic like amiodarone is the best choice here because it quickly stabilizes the rhythm and can prevent deterioration without the need for immediate electrical intervention. If the patient becomes unstable—low blood pressure, altered mental status, or signs of poor perfusion—the preferred action would shift to synchronized cardioversion to promptly restore a stable rhythm. Defibrillation is used only for pulseless VT or ventricular fibrillation, not when a pulse is present. Coronary bypass surgery isn’t an acute treatment for VT; it’s a surgical procedure to improve blood flow in coronary artery disease, not a rhythm-control measure. So amiodarone appropriately targets the arrhythmia while maintaining hemodynamic stability.