Long QT syndrome

Question 1

What is long QT syndrome?

Answer 1

Ventricular tachyarrhythmia

Question 2

What is it typically due to?

Answer 2

congenital channelopathy disorder where mutation affects cardiac ion channels therefore heart conduction

Question 3

What is QRS and T?

Answer 3

ventricular depolarise (contract)
T wave = depolarise

Question 4

what happens in QT syndrome?

Answer 4

abnormally long in some heart cells, abnormalities in movement of ion channels

Question 5

How long is the QT interval?

Answer 5

480+ ms

Question 6

3 causes of Long QT?

Answer 6

Romano Ward syndrome (auto dom)
Jerrell Lange Nielson syndrome (auto rec)
Hypokalaemia + hypocalcemia (non inherited) + drugs (amiodarone, magnesium)

Question 7

What is Torsades de pointes?

Answer 7

Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in patients with prolonged QT

Rapid irregular QRS complexes which ‘twist’ around baseline, can cease spontaneously or develop ventricular fibrillation

Question 8

What is ventricular fibrillation?

Answer 8

when ventricles lose ability to contract & pump blood to rest of body

Question 9

What does the ECG look like?
Patient becomes?

Answer 9

shapeless rapid oscillations on ECG

Px becomes pulseless + goes into cardiac arrest (no effective CO)

Question 10

1st line Tx for ventricular fibrillation?

Answer 10

Electrical defibrillation
Non synchronised as patients pulseless