What is meant by irregularly irregular QRS complexes?

What is meant by irregularly irregular QRS complexes?

Because the AV node is intermittently (not regularly) refractory, the QRS complexes that are produced when an atrial action potential does reach the ventricles will occur in an “irregularly irregular” manner, as there is no pattern to their frequency. This is commonly described as varying RR intervals.

What does a widened QRS complex indicate?

A “wide QRS complex” refers to a QRS complex duration ≥120 ms. Widening of the QRS complex is related to slower spread of ventricular depolarization, either due to disease of the His-Purkinje network and/or reliance on slower, muscle-to-muscle spread of depolarization.

What is considered an abnormal characteristic of the QRS complex?

Implications and causes of wide (broad) QRS complex. Prolongation of QRS duration implies that ventricular depolarization is slower than normal. The QRS duration is generally <0,10 seconds but must be <0,12 seconds. If QRS duration is ≥ 0,12 seconds (120 milliseconds) then the QRS complex is abnormally wide (broad).

What is meant by irregularly irregular?

An irregularly irregular rhythm has no pattern at all. All of the intervals are haphazard and do not repeat, with an occasional, accidental exception.

What does an irregularly irregular rhythm indicate?

A heart arrhythmia (uh-RITH-me-uh) is an irregular heartbeat. Heart rhythm problems (heart arrhythmias) occur when the electrical signals that coordinate the heart’s beats don’t work properly. The faulty signaling causes the heart to beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia) or irregularly.

What is irregularly irregular rhythm?

An irregularly irregular rhythm has no pattern at all. All of the intervals are haphazard and do not repeat, with an occasional, accidental exception. Luckily, there are only three irregularly irregular rhythms: atrial fibrillation, wandering atrial pacemaker, and multifocal atrial tachycardia.

What electrolyte imbalance causes widened QRS complex?

ECG in severe hyperkalemia (Potassium >7,5 mmol/L) The QRS complex becomes wider.

What is a narrow QRS complex?

A narrow QRS complex (<120 ms) reflects rapid activation of the ventricles via the normal His-Purkinje system, which in turn suggests that the arrhythmia originates above or within the His bundle (ie, a supraventricular tachycardia).

What is irregularly irregular heartbeat?

An arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. It means your heart is out of its usual rhythm. It may feel like your heart skipped a beat, added a beat, or is “fluttering.” It might feel like it’s beating too fast (which doctors call tachycardia) or too slow (called bradycardia). Or you might not notice anything.