Ventricular pre-excitation (Wolff-Parkinson-White pattern): Difference between revisions
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Ventricular pre-excitation (Wolff-Parkinson-White pattern) (view source)
Revision as of 17:50, 22 December 2007
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[[Image:wpw_full_ecg3.png|thumb| WPW op een volledig ECG.]] | [[Image:wpw_full_ecg3.png|thumb| WPW op een volledig ECG.]] | ||
In 1930 Louis Wolff, Sir John Parkinson and Paul Dudley White described 11 patients who suffered from bouts of tachcyardias. Their ECGs showed two abnormalities: a short PQ time and a delta-wave. | In 1930 Louis Wolff, Sir John Parkinson and Paul Dudley White described 11 patients who suffered from bouts of tachcyardias. Their ECGs showed two abnormalities: a short PQ time and a delta-wave. | ||
Ever since one speaks of the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in patients with complaints of syncope and or tachycardia and a | Ever since one speaks of the '''Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome''' in patients with complaints of syncope and / or tachycardia and a pre-exitation pattern on the ECG (WPW syndrome = WPW pattern + symptoms). Not all patients with a WPW ''pattern'' on the ECG are symptomatic. The prevalence of the WPW or pre-exitation pattern is relatively common in the general population about 0.15-0.25%. | ||
The | The pre-exitation pattern is caused by an extra connection between the atria and the ventricles (accessory bundle) that forms an electrical bypass to the AV node. The part of the ventricle where this accessory bundle connects are the first to depolarize. This is shown on the ECG as a delta wave. The QRS-complex is somewhat widened (> 0.10 sec). Also the PQ time is shorter (< 0.12 sec). By observing the pattern of the delta wave in the different leads, one can estimate the location of the accessory bundle. | ||
The risk of having an accessory bundle is the development of tachycardias. Two forms of tachycardias exist: | The risk of having an accessory bundle is the development of tachycardias. Two forms of tachycardias exist: | ||