Dawn's picture

This ECG shows a normal sinus rhythm at 73/min. and a right bundle branch block.  The diagnostic characteristics of RBBB are:  wide QRS (greater than .12 sec.), supraventricular rhythm (in this case NSR), and an rSR' pattern in V1 with a small, wide S wave in Leads I and V6.  The R' and small s waves represent the right ventricle depolarizing slightly AFTER the left ventricle.  In fact, in RBBB, each lead should look pretty normal at first, with a terminal right ventricular depolarization wave added to each QRS complex.  This is because the left ventricle depolalrizes normally.  In this patient, R waves progress fairly soon in the precordial leads (V1 through V2).  It is not known in this case if it is due to poor electrode placement or patient causes.

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ekgpress@mac.com's picture

Good teaching example of RBBB posted by Dawn this week. I'd make the following teaching points regarding this tracing and ECG diagnosis of RBBB in general:

  • Diagnosis of RBBB and LBBB can be simplified into a method that allows accurate diagnosis within 2-3 seconds. This is because: i) You only need to look at 3 leads in order to diagnose the type of conduction abnormality = leads I, V1 and V6; and ii) There are only 3 possible answers when you have sinus rhythm with a wide QRS (assuming no WPW) = 1-RBBB; 2- LBBB; and 3- IVCD (IntraVentricular Conduction Defect). While I definitely DO look at all 12 leads for additional clues/findings - you only need 3 leads to determine which of the above 3 conduction blocks is present. For those interested - I've made a web page on the Basics of BBB that reviews full details of this approach, including links to numerous explained BBB examples. 
  • RBBB may be "complete" with a QRS duration of 0.11 seconds. This is different than LBBB - which requires a QRS duration of at least 0.12 seconds to be complete. This makes sense. The RV is not as thick as the LV - so complete RBBB might not result in as much delay as LBBB would.
  • The S waves seen in lateral leads I and V6 are not necessarily small with RBBB. They may actually be quite large. The KEY - is that with typical RBBB - there are wide terminal S waves (that may be shallow or deep). The reason these lateral S waves are wide - is that it takes longer for the impulse to traverse the RV via nonspecialized myocardial fibers (since the RBB is blocked).
  • The expected ST-T wave response to simple complete RBBB is present here. That is - ST-T waves in the 3 KEY leads (I,V1,V6) is oppositely directed to the last QRS deflection. Thus, the T wave is upright as it should be in leads I,V6 (opposite the negative terminal S wave) - and the ST-T wave is negative as it should be in V1 (opposite the positive R' in V1). If ST-T waves deviate from this expected direction - suspect something else (ie, ischemia, infarction) is going on (Full details in the pdfs at the link I give above re Basics of BBB).
  • Q waves are present in lead III and a tiny q in lead II of this tracing. The meaning of this is uncertain - but it might reflect prior inferior MI. Since RBBB is a "terminal delay" - it does not alter the initial vector of ventricular depolarization. As a result - you will usually be able to see infarction Q waves despite RBBB. Given the tiny size of the q in lead II and hte absence of a Q wave in aVF - we can't be certain if the large Q that we do see in lead III indicates prior inferior infarction or is simply an isolated Q that may sometimes be seen in lead III.

 

 

Ken Grauer, MD  www.kg-ekgpress.com   [email protected] 

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