Congestive heart failure electrocardiogram
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Although there is no diagnostic criteria of congestive heart failure on the EKG, there may be signs of the underlying cardiac cause(s) of congestive heart failure.
Electrocardiographic Abnormalities
- Low Voltage: The often shows low voltage.
The differential diagnosis of low voltage on the includes amyloid.
- Poor R wave progression: in the precordial leads may be secondary to a prior myocardial infarction but can be observed in the absence of a prior myocardial infarction.
- Left bundle branch block (LBBB): can be observed in both ischemic and non-ischemic cases of heart failure
- Left ventricular hypertrophy: consistent with a history of hypertension can be seen
- Left atrial enlargement
- Non-specific ST segment and T wave changes