Submitted by Dr A Röschl on Tue, 01/14/2025 - 02:03
What can we learn from this 3-channel ECG?
A sinus rhythm can be seen in the left half of the image, which merges into a ventricular tachycardia on the right. The QRS complexes of the VT change their shape and polarity, this is called polymorphic.
The question is: can this be called TdP (Torsade de Pointes) tachycardia or not? The clear answer is: no! A polymorphic VT may only be called TdP if there is a prolonged QT/QTc duration in the native rhythm. This is obviously not the case here. Therefore, the term polymorphic VT is retained here
Submitted by Dr A Röschl on Sun, 09/10/2023 - 07:42
This EKG shows a sinus rhythm with ventricular bigeminy and retrograde conduction leading to retrograde depolarization of the sinus node, resulting in a longer pause (sinus node reset).
Then, a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia occurs over 7 beats. The QT interval of the sinus beats does not appear prolonged, thus ruling out Torsades de Pointes tachycardia. The most likely cause of this type of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia during a stress EKG is cardiac ischemia/coronary artery disease.
