Learning Objective
After completing this section, learners will be able to identify Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome on ECG, describe its characteristic findings, and understand its mechanism of reentrant tachycardia.
Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome
Mechanism:
- Presence of an accessory pathway (Bundle of Kent) between atria and ventricles
ECG Characteristics:
- Short PR interval
- Slurred upstroke of the QRS (delta wave)
- Widened QRS complex
- Rhythm usually steady; rate usually normal
Clinical Significance:
- Impulses may travel retrograde over the accessory pathway, creating a reentrant tachycardia
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