Electrical alternans
| Electrical alternans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Electrical alternans, tachycardia, and low voltage in a person with a large pericardial effusion. | |
| Specialty | Cardiology |
Electrical alternans is an
axis between beats and a possible wandering base-line. It is seen in cardiac tamponade and severe pericardial effusion and is thought to be related to changes in the ventricular electrical axis due to fluid in the pericardium, as the heart essentially wobbles in the fluid filled pericardial sac.[1]
The
ECG.[2]
Causes
The two most common causes of electrical alternans are
rhythms, including the ones previously mentioned, which causes the electrodes to detect a range of QRS amplitudes.[3]
See also
- Cardiac tamponade
- Electrocardiogram
References
- ISBN 9781444391732.
- PMID 26287870.
- PMID 30480962. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
Further reading
- M, Goyal; KM, Woods; JE, Atwood (August 2013). "Electrical alternans: a sign, not a diagnosis". Southern Medical Journal. 106 (8). South Med J: 485–489. S2CID 19681969. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- Mittal, Sitaram (2023). "Electrical Alternans". Insights into Electrocardiograms with MCQs. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. pp. 681–684. ISBN 978-981-99-0126-5.