Clinical Significance of Ventricular flutter

Extreme form of ventricular tachycardia (VT) with loss of organised electrical activity

• Associated with rapid and profound hemodynamic compromise
• Usually short lived due to progression to ventricular fibrillation
• As with ventricular fibrillation rapid initiation of advanced life support is required

How to Recognise Ventricular Flutter

• Continuous Sine Wave
• No identifiable P waves, QRS complexes, or T waves
• Rate usually > 200 beats / min

Clinical Pearl

The ECG looks identical when viewed upside down!

ECG Examples

Example 1

Typical appearance of ventricular flutter:

• Monomorphic sine wave at >200bpm.
• ECG looks identical when turned upside down.

Example 2

12-lead ECG example of ventricular flutter:

• Extremely rapid monomorphic sine wave at around 300 bpm.

Example 3

Ventricular flutter following a bolus of intravenous verapamil

• A supraventricular tachycardia converts to ventricular flutter after administration of verapamil. The rhythm subsequently degenerates into ventricular fibrillation.
• The rapid deterioration with verapamil suggests that the patient may have underlying Wolff-Parkinson White syndrome.
• In WPW, administration of verapamil or diltiazem during a supraventricular tachycardia may produce a paradoxical increase in ventricular rate by increasing conduction through the accessory pathway. With rapid atrial rhythms such as AF or flutter, the sudden onset of 1:1 AV conduction may produce ventricular rates of >300 beats per minute (i.e. ventricular flutter), which rapidly deteriorates to VF.

Related Topics

• Ventricular Fibrillation
• Ventricular Tachycardia

LITFL Further Reading

• ECG Library Basics – Waves, Intervals, Segments and Clinical Interpretation
• ECG A to Z by diagnosis – ECG interpretation in clinical context
• ECG Exigency and Cardiovascular Curveball – ECG Clinical Cases
• 100 ECG Quiz – Self-assessment tool for examination practice
• ECG Reference SITES and BOOKS – the best of the rest

Advanced Reading

• Brady WJ, Truwit JD. Critical Decisions in Emergency and Acute Care Electrocardiography
• Surawicz B, Knilans T. Chou’s Electrocardiography in Clinical Practice: Adult and Pediatric
• Wagner GS. Marriott’s Practical Electrocardiography 12e
• Chan TC. ECG in Emergency Medicine and Acute Care
• Rawshani A. Clinical ECG Interpretation
• Mattu A. ECG’s for the Emergency Physician
• Hampton JR. The ECG In Practice, 6e