What causes electrical alternans in cardiac tamponade?

Alternans due to cardiac motion is the most well-known mechanism of electrical alternans, encountered in large pericardial effusions and cardiac tamponade. The pendulous swinging motion of the heart in a fluid-suspended cavity in such situations effectively causes electrical alternans.

When do you see electrical alternans?

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.

What is the difference between pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade?

Pericardial effusion is an anatomic diagnosis of abnormal pericardial fluid accumula- tion that has no hemodynamic consequences, whereas cardiac tamponade is a physiologic diagnosis of varying amounts of pericardial fluid that causes increased pressure and resultant hemodynamic consequences (Harken, Hammond, & Ed- …

How do you treat electrical alternans?

Direct treatment toward correction of the underlying cause of electrical alternans, such as optimizing heart failure or anti-ischemic regimens in patients with cardiomyopathy or coronary disease. In the setting of long QT syndrome (LQTS), remove the offending drugs and correct concomitant dyselectrolytemias.

What does electrical alternans indicate?

Electrical alternans is defined as alternating QRS amplitude that is seen in any or all leads on an electrocardiogram (ECG) with no additional changes to the conduction pathways of the heart. This rhythm is typically associated with pericardial effusion via the “swinging heart” from the fluid surrounding the heart.

What does electrical alternans look like?

Which is an example of an electrical alternan?

Electrical alternans is defined as alternating QRS amplitudes in any or all leads on an electrocardiogram (ECG) with no additional evident changes in conduction pathways of the heart. This rhythm is typically associated with pericardial effusion from fluid surrounding the heart.

What kind of disease is electrical alternans associated with?

Electrical alternans is usually associated with pericardial effusion which is associated with many disease states including infection, inflammatory syndromes, trauma, malignancy, and idiopathic to name a few.

Can a tamponade cause an electrical alternan?

Generally electrical alternans can be seen with tamponade, and narrow AV junctional reentrant tachycardia with an accessory pathway (such as WPW syndrome ). A similar phenomenon, pseudo-alternans, can be seen in bigeminal (premature ventricular contraction) PVC in the PR interval, alternans pre-excitation, and alternans bundle branch block.

What is the classic ECG pattern known as electrical alternans?

Hello friends, this video is about the classic ECG pattern known as Electrical Alternans.Do watch full videos for better understanding.____________Watch full… AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new features