TY - JOUR
T1 - Coexistence of ventricular parasystole and ventricular couplets
T2 - Mechanism and clinical significance
AU - Kuo, Chien Suu
AU - Surawicz, Borys
PY - 1979/9
Y1 - 1979/9
N2 - In 78 consecutive patients with uniform ventricular ectopic complexes and without heart disease, ventricular couplets were present significantly more often when the coupling interval of ventricular ectopic complexes was variable than when it was fixed (P < 0.04). In 69 consecutive patients with couplets, the prevalence of a variable coupling interval was significantly greater than that of fixed coupling (55 versus 14 cases; P < 0.001). Among 55 patients with a variable coupling interval, ventricular parasystole was probable in 38 and possible in 17 patients. These results suggest that the association between ventricular couplets and parasystole is not coincidental. Of several possible mechanisms responsible for this association reentry within the parasystolic focus or Its vicinity is the most probable. This may explain the observation that the couplets are seldom followed by consecutive ventricular ectopic complexes or ventricular tachycardia. If this hypothesis is correct, the clinical significance of ventricular couplets in the presence of ventricular parasystole may be similar to that of single reentrant ventricular ectopic complexes.
AB - In 78 consecutive patients with uniform ventricular ectopic complexes and without heart disease, ventricular couplets were present significantly more often when the coupling interval of ventricular ectopic complexes was variable than when it was fixed (P < 0.04). In 69 consecutive patients with couplets, the prevalence of a variable coupling interval was significantly greater than that of fixed coupling (55 versus 14 cases; P < 0.001). Among 55 patients with a variable coupling interval, ventricular parasystole was probable in 38 and possible in 17 patients. These results suggest that the association between ventricular couplets and parasystole is not coincidental. Of several possible mechanisms responsible for this association reentry within the parasystolic focus or Its vicinity is the most probable. This may explain the observation that the couplets are seldom followed by consecutive ventricular ectopic complexes or ventricular tachycardia. If this hypothesis is correct, the clinical significance of ventricular couplets in the presence of ventricular parasystole may be similar to that of single reentrant ventricular ectopic complexes.
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U2 - 10.1016/0002-9149(79)90393-X
DO - 10.1016/0002-9149(79)90393-X
M3 - Article
C2 - 474422
AN - SCOPUS:0018697559
SN - 0002-9149
VL - 44
SP - 435
EP - 441
JO - American Journal of Cardiology
JF - American Journal of Cardiology
IS - 3
ER -