title: Clinical usefulness of the 12-lead electrocardiogram in the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
abstract: When used with insight, the 12-lead electrocardiogram can provide a considerable amount of useful data in patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The 12-lead electrocardiogram during tachycardia usually provides excellent clues as to the mechanism of tachycardia, with the most valuable feature being the relationship of the P wave to the QRS complex. The observation of intermittent loss of preexcitation or loss of preexcitation with late atrial extrasystoles is an indicator of a long anterograde refractory period of the accessory pathway, a clue to a benign prognosis in the event of atrial fibrillation. The preexcited morphology as assessed by the electrocardiogram can provide an accurate first approximation to accessory-pathway location using a few simple guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rinne
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yee
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D003645:Death, Sudden; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000175:diagnosis; D014927:Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents