Members of the emergency medical team may have difficulty diagnosing rapid atrial fibrillation in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
Kozluk, Edward ; Timler, Dariusz ; Zysko, Dorota ; Piatkowska, Agnieszka ; Grzebieniak, Tomasz ; Gajek, Jacek ; Galazkowski, Robert and Fedorowski, Artur LU
(2015)
In Cardiology Journal
22(3).
p.247-252
- Abstract
- Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is potentially life-threatening as it may deteriorate into ventricular fibrillation. The aim of this study was to assess whether the emergency medical team members are able to diagnose AF with a rapid ventricular response due to the presence of atrioventricular bypass tract in WPW syndrome. Methods: The study group consisted of 316 participants attending a national congress of emergency medicine. A total of 196 questionnaires regarding recognition and management of cardiac arrhythmias were distributed. The assessed part presented a clinical scenario with a young hemodynamically stable man who had a 12-lead electrocardiogram performed in the past with... (More)
- Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is potentially life-threatening as it may deteriorate into ventricular fibrillation. The aim of this study was to assess whether the emergency medical team members are able to diagnose AF with a rapid ventricular response due to the presence of atrioventricular bypass tract in WPW syndrome. Methods: The study group consisted of 316 participants attending a national congress of emergency medicine. A total of 196 questionnaires regarding recognition and management of cardiac arrhythmias were distributed. The assessed part presented a clinical scenario with a young hemodynamically stable man who had a 12-lead electrocardiogram performed in the past with signs of pre-excitation, and who presented to the emergency team with an irregular broad QRS-complex tachycardia. Results: A total of 71 questionnaires were filled in. Only one responder recognized AF due to WPW syndrome, while 5 other responders recognized WPW syndrome and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia or broad QRS-complex tachycardia. About 20% of participants did not select any diagnosis, pointing out a method of treatment only. The most common diagnosis found in the survey was ventricular tachycardia/broad QRS-complex tachycardia marked by approximately a half of the participants. Nearly 18% of participants recognized WPW syndrome, whereas AF was recognized by less than 10% of participants. Conclusions: Members of emergency medical teams have limited skills for recognizing WPW syndrome with rapid AF, and ventricular tachycardia is the most frequent incorrect diagnosis. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/8560010
- author
- Kozluk, Edward
; Timler, Dariusz
; Zysko, Dorota
; Piatkowska, Agnieszka
; Grzebieniak, Tomasz
; Gajek, Jacek
; Galazkowski, Robert
and Fedorowski, Artur
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2015
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- pre-excitation syndrome, Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, atrial, fibrillation, Emergency Department
- in
- Cardiology Journal
- volume
- 22
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 247 - 252
- publisher
- Via Medica
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000366307800003
- scopus:84931331490
- pmid:25428731
- ISSN
- 1898-018X
- DOI
- 10.5603/CJ.a2014.0086
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a8d6f60a-4d7f-4db0-a789-dff5b7746080 (old id 8560010)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 10:21:04
- date last changed
- 2022-01-25 22:18:48
@article{a8d6f60a-4d7f-4db0-a789-dff5b7746080,
abstract = {{Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is potentially life-threatening as it may deteriorate into ventricular fibrillation. The aim of this study was to assess whether the emergency medical team members are able to diagnose AF with a rapid ventricular response due to the presence of atrioventricular bypass tract in WPW syndrome. Methods: The study group consisted of 316 participants attending a national congress of emergency medicine. A total of 196 questionnaires regarding recognition and management of cardiac arrhythmias were distributed. The assessed part presented a clinical scenario with a young hemodynamically stable man who had a 12-lead electrocardiogram performed in the past with signs of pre-excitation, and who presented to the emergency team with an irregular broad QRS-complex tachycardia. Results: A total of 71 questionnaires were filled in. Only one responder recognized AF due to WPW syndrome, while 5 other responders recognized WPW syndrome and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia or broad QRS-complex tachycardia. About 20% of participants did not select any diagnosis, pointing out a method of treatment only. The most common diagnosis found in the survey was ventricular tachycardia/broad QRS-complex tachycardia marked by approximately a half of the participants. Nearly 18% of participants recognized WPW syndrome, whereas AF was recognized by less than 10% of participants. Conclusions: Members of emergency medical teams have limited skills for recognizing WPW syndrome with rapid AF, and ventricular tachycardia is the most frequent incorrect diagnosis.}},
author = {{Kozluk, Edward and Timler, Dariusz and Zysko, Dorota and Piatkowska, Agnieszka and Grzebieniak, Tomasz and Gajek, Jacek and Galazkowski, Robert and Fedorowski, Artur}},
issn = {{1898-018X}},
keywords = {{pre-excitation syndrome; Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome; atrial; fibrillation; Emergency Department}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{247--252}},
publisher = {{Via Medica}},
series = {{Cardiology Journal}},
title = {{Members of the emergency medical team may have difficulty diagnosing rapid atrial fibrillation in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5603/CJ.a2014.0086}},
doi = {{10.5603/CJ.a2014.0086}},
volume = {{22}},
year = {{2015}},
}