Prolonged corrected QT interval
After Sudden Loss of Consciousness
A 60-year-old woman was resuscitated after cardiac arrest. The tracing shown was recorded after return of spontaneous circulation.
The quiz uses the lower six leads of the figure and the lead II strip, without overprinted QT annotations. The library retains the published annotations.
Look for
- Bazett QTc reported as 581 ms after resuscitation.
- Prolonged repolarization requiring manual verification.
Where to look. Choose II or V5–V6 if T-wave end is clear; distinguish T from a U wave.
QT runs from QRS onset to T-wave end; QTc accounts for rate. Marked QTc prolongation predisposes to some ventricular arrhythmias without proving the rhythm during the initial arrest.
QT-prolonging drugs and mild hypokalemia are reported; no single arrest mechanism is asserted here.
References & provenance
The ECG Made Practical, 7e, ch. 1, p. 47; ch. 2, p. 72–73; Lilly, 6e, ch. 4, p. 86–88.
Aborted Sudden Cardiac Death Due to Acquired QT Prolongation: A Case Report
Georgios Aletras; Maria Bachlitzanaki; Eleni Eleftheriadou; Michael Pitarokoilis; Emmanouil G Foukarakis. Aborted Sudden Cardiac Death Due to Acquired QT Prolongation: A Case Report. 2025. doi:10.7759/cureus.78496. Figure 1. CC BY 4.0. CC BY 4.0
Adaptation: cropping and removal of headers/annotations outside the tracing where applicable; metadata removed. Waveforms have not been redrawn.
Compared with the published source; no independent clinical validation is claimed.
Original annotations & limitations
QTc prolongé après réanimation
Femme de 60 ans après arrêt cardiaque; médicaments allongeant le QT et hypokaliémie légère; QTc de Bazett 581 ms rapporté après reprise circulatoire.
L’ECG est post-réanimation; ne pas prétendre qu’il représente le rythme pendant l’arrêt ni une preuve de cause unique.