Open AccessDeceleration‐dependent shortening of the qt interval: A new electrocardiographic phenomenon?
Author(s) -
Liebl Nancy,
Zimmerman Frank,
Nouri Soraya,
Willis Hurst J.,
Gussak Ihor,
Bjerregaard Preben,
Chaitman B. R.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
clinical cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.263
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1932-8737
pISSN - 0160-9289
DOI - 10.1002/clc.4960220213
Subject(s) - medicine , qt interval , cardiology , electrocardiography , long qt syndrome , rhythm , heart rate , pr interval , anesthesia , blood pressure
In clinical cardiology, deceleration‐dependent QT interval shortening is considered to be an extraordinary electrocardiographic phenomenon. We present an early premature born 4‐year‐old African‐American girl with complications related to her premature birth, developmental delay, and several episodes of cardiac arrest. An episode of severe transient bradyarrhythmia was documented on Holter monitoring. The unique feature of the rhythm strips was paradoxical gradual shortening of the QT interval to 216 ms with accompanying transient T‐waves abnormalities. The activation of the Ik, ACh due to an unusually high vagal discharge to the heart is proposed as a possible mechanism responsible for both slowing of the heart rate and shortening of the QT interval.