Volume 9, Issue 7: Long QT Syndrome
Authors:OVERVIEW
Long QT Syndrome – full of action potential
A call comes through reporting an unconscious 24-year-old female in the toilets of a local nightclub but when you arrive all expectation of an alcohol-related call vanishes as you realise it is a member of staff. The patient is alert but appears pale and very clammy. Her radial pulse is barely palpable and it seems to be very quick… What do you do next?
CPD Benefit
This article discusses QTc interval prolongation summarising risk factors and providing a basic refresher on action potentials, mainly in cardiac muscle, and how this translates to a normal sinus rhythm on an ECG as well as what happens when problems occur. This will enable pre-hospital professions to have a good understanding of the factors involved and the ability to recognise when someone might be at higher risk. This can assist with an early diagnosis of QTc interval prolongation which is considered to be associated with a reduced risk of sudden death.
Assessment Answers and References
You can check your answers to the quiz and download the references for this article by clicking the links below:
