Usefulness of Doppler Transthoracic Echocardiography for the Diagnosis of Wide-QRS Complex Tachycardia

Abstract

The differential diagnosis of wide–QRS complex tachycardia (WCT) must be assessed between ventricular tachycardia (VT) and supraventricular tachycardia with ventricular aberrancy. Numerous electrocardiographic algorithms have been described but may lack sensitivity or specificity in real-life practice. In this context, additional noninvasive methods are needed in stable patients not requiring urgent defibrillation. Flow and Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) allows real-time visualization of atrial and ventricular mechanical activities. In this proof-of-concept study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility and performance of Doppler transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to elucidate atrioventricular (AV) relationship and discriminate VT from supraventricular tachycardia during WCT. The study protocol was approved by a national ethics committee, and all participants gave written inform consent.