What rhythm is prolonged QT?

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a heart rhythm condition that can potentially cause fast, chaotic heartbeats. These rapid heartbeats might trigger you to suddenly faint. Some people with the condition have seizures. In some severe cases, LQTS can cause sudden death.

What type of mutation causes long QT syndrome?

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is caused by single autosomal-dominant mutations in a gene encoding for a cardiac ion channel or an accessory ion channel subunit. These single mutations can cause life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden death in heterozygous mutation carriers.

What is the inheritance pattern of long QT syndrome?

Mode of Inheritance Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is typically inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. LQTS with extracardiac signs can be inherited in an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive manner. Timothy syndrome and Andersen-Tawil syndrome are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.

What happens when the QT interval is prolonged?

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an abnormal feature of the heart’s electrical system that can lead to a potentially life-threatening arrhythmia called torsades de pointes (pronounced torsad de pwant). Torsades de pointes may result in syncope (fainting) or sudden cardiac death.

What happens during the T wave?

The T wave represents ventricular repolarization. Generally, the T wave exhibits a positive deflection. The reason for this is that the last cells to depolarize in the ventricles are the first to repolarize.

What chromosome is long QT syndrome?

Abstract. Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a heterogeneous inherited disorder causing syncope and sudden death from ventricular arrhythmias. A first locus for this disorder was mapped to chromosome 11p15.

Why does Long QT cause syncope?

Symptoms of long QT syndrome blackouts or fainting, because the heart has stopped pumping blood properly and the brain is temporarily starved of oxygen – the heart’s rhythm returns to normal within a few minutes and the person regains consciousness.

Can long QT syndrome be misdiagnosed?

Long QT syndrome may masquerade as fainting or blackout episodes, or be misdiagnosed as epilepsy. Such events are often dismissed or misdiagnosed.