title: The skinny on wide QRS complexes.
abstract: The presence of widened QRS complexes in a life insurance applicant's electrocardiogram may be due to such things as an intraventricular conduction defect, preexcitation syndrome, left ventricular hypertrophy, ventricular pacing, hyperkalemia and a ventricular rhythm. Clinical information and basic electrocardiogram interpretation techniques can usually narrow the differential diagnosis. Risk assessment of intraventricular conduction defects requires identification of typical electrocardiographic patterns followed by a careful search for additional electrocardiographic features, which may indicate the presence of more extensive conducting system disease and/or coexisting disease affecting the myocardium.
authors.affiliation: rossmackenzieconsulting@msn.com
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: MacKenzie
mesh_terms: D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk