VPC Trigeminy – ECG strip

VPC Trigeminy – ECG strip

VPC-Trigeminy (Ventricular trigeminy)

Monitor screenshot showing three ventricular premature complexes (VPC) occurring in a trigeminal sequence (two sinus beats followed by a ventricular ectopic beat – ventricular trigeminy  or VPC Trigeminy). Ventricular premature complexes are identified as being premature complexes with a wide bizarre QRS complexes having no preceding P waves. In this case the VPCs are not so premature with the coupling interval from the previous sinus beat being about 400 milliseconds and that from the VPC to the subsequent sinus beat being about 560 milliseconds. The standardization of 1 mV to one centimeter on the Y-axis and a sweep speed of 25 mm/second on the X-axis are displayed in the tracing.
Each ventricular ectopic beat is followed by a fully compensated compensatory pause. In this case the pauses are not very prominent because the usual heart rate itself is high and the difference between the coupling interval and the compensatory pause is small. Coupling interval is the interval from the onset of the previous sinus beat to the onset of the ectopic beat. Compensatory pause is the pause after the ventricular ectopic beat. The sum of the coupling interval and the compensatory pause will be twice the basic sinus cycle length.