Torsades de pointes
| Torsades de pointes | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Torsade(s) |
| 12-lead ECG of torsades de pointes (TdP) in a 56-year-old white female with low blood potassium (2.4 mmol/L) and low blood magnesium (1.6 mg/dL) | |
| Specialty | Cardiology |
| Complications | Cardiac arrest |
| Causes | Hereditary, certain drugs, electrolyte disorders which cause increased QT interval |
| Risk factors | Medications, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia, bradycardia, heart failure, left ventricular hypertrophy, hypothermia, subarachnoid hemorrhage, hypothyroidism |
| Deaths | ~5% of 300,000 sudden cardiac deaths in the US |
Torsades de pointes, torsade de pointes or torsades des pointes (TdP; also called torsades) (/tɔːrˌsɑːd də ˈpwæ̃t/, French: [tɔʁsad də pwɛ̃t̪], translated as "twisting of peaks") is a specific type of abnormal heart rhythm that can lead to sudden cardiac death. It is a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia that exhibits distinct characteristics on the electrocardiogram (ECG). It was described by French physician François Dessertenne in 1966. Prolongation of the QT interval can increase a person's risk of developing this abnormal heart rhythm, occurring in between 1% and 10% of patients who receive QT-prolonging antiarrhythmic drugs.