What is bidirectional ventricular tachycardia?

What is bidirectional ventricular tachycardia?

Bidirectional ventricular tachycardia is an abnormal fast rhythm originating from the ventricle. It is named so because alternate QRS complexes (electrical activity of the ventricles) have opposite directions: one being upwards while the other is downwards. This is a characteristic rhythm disorder seen in toxicity of a medicine called digitalis, which is used to augment the pumping function of the failing heart. Bidirectional ventricular tachycardia can also be seen in rare inherited disorders of cardiac rhythm like catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and Andersen syndrome.