Related Subjects:
|ECG Basics
|ECG Axis
|ECG Analysis
|ECG LAD
|ECG RAD
|ECG Low voltage
|ECG Pathological Q waves
|ECG ST/T wave changes
|ECG LBBB
|ECG RBBB
|ECG short PR
|ECG Heart Block
|ECG Asystole and P wave asystole
|ECG QRS complex
|ECG ST segment
|ECG: QT interval
|ECG: LVH
|ECG RVH
|ECG: Bundle branch blocks
|ECG Dominant R wave in V1
|ECG Acute Coronary Syndrome
|ECG Narrow complex tachycardia
|ECG Ventricular fibrillation
|ECG Regular Broad complex tachycardia
|ECG Crib sheets
Causes of Broad complex tachycardia
- Ventricular tachycardia is most concerning
- Atrial fibrillation with aberrant conduction (Bundle branch block)
- SVT with aberrant conduction (Bundle branch block)
- Atrial flutter with aberrant conduction (Bundle branch block)
- Sinus tachycardia with aberrant conduction (Bundle branch block)
Ventricular Tachycardia
- Ventricular tachycardia is defined as three or more ventricular complexes in succession at a rate greater than 100 bpm. Patients presenting with ventricular tachycardia often present with a regular heart rate between 100 and 250 bpm (HR below = 146 bpm), in which the QRS morphology is constant and abnormally wide (greater than 0.12 seconds).
- Frequently, these ECG's demonstrate AV dissociation in which the ventricular rate is greater than the atrial rate. P waves are frequently hidden within the broad ventricular complexes, although they can sometimes be identified as bumps or notches in the ventricular cycles.
- Although patients without heart disease may develop paroxysmal non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, chronic sustained VT is most commonly associated with coronary artery disease, dilated cardiomyopathy and prior myocardial infarction or severe heart disease.