| 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[1] |
Torsades de pointes, torsade de pointes or torsades des pointes (TdP; also called torsades) (/tɔːrˌsɑːd də ˈpwæ̃t/,[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]
- ^ "Torsade de Pointes: Overview, Pathophysiology, Etiology of Torsade". 2021-04-03.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "TORSADE DE POINTES | Meaning & Definition for UK English | Lexico.com". Archived from the original on August 14, 2020.
- ^ Dessertenne, F. (1966). "La tachycardie ventriculaire a deux foyers opposes variables". Archives des maladies du coeur et des vaisseaux (in French). 59 (2). Prepared by Rahel Farhad: 263–272. ISSN 0003-9683. PMID 4956181.
- ^ Pickham, David; Helfenbein, Eric; Shinn, Julie A.; Chan, Garrett; Funk, Marjorie; Weinacker, Ann; Liu, Jia-Ni; Drew, Barbara J. (2012). "High prevalence of corrected QT interval prolongation in acutely ill patients is associated with mortality". Critical Care Medicine. 40 (2): 394–399. doi:10.1097/CCM.0b013e318232db4a. PMID 22001585. S2CID 27017787.