Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Global T wave inversion.

L A Walder1, D H Spodick

  • 1Division of Cardiology, St. Vincent Hospital, Worcester, Massachusetts 01604.

Journal of the American College of Cardiology
|June 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

Global T wave inversion is more common in women and associated with a vertical QRS axis. Asymmetric T wave inversions often link to digoxin use, while symmetric inversions appear in myocardial infarction and CNS disorders.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Acute traumatic pericarditis: failed suicide with classic electrocardiogram.

Clinical cardiology·1999
Same author

Ventricular reduction therapy: controlled clinical trials overdue.

Journal of the American College of Cardiology·1999
Same author

Absent septal q wave: the neglected deflection.

The American journal of cardiology·1999
Same author

Constrictive pericarditis: clinical and pathophysiologic characteristics.

American heart journal·1999
Same author

Images in clinical medicine. A grade 6 systolic murmur.

The New England journal of medicine·1999
Same author

Audibility of fourth heart sound.

Chest·1999

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Electrocardiography

Background:

  • Global T wave inversion is an electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern lacking specific characterization.
  • Understanding this pattern is crucial for accurate cardiac diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To prospectively characterize global T wave inversion patterns in ECGs.
  • To identify demographic and clinical associations with this ECG finding.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 100 ECGs with global T wave inversion (frontal plane T vector -100 to -170 degrees and precordial T inversion).
  • Prospective collection from ~30,000 interpreted ECGs.
  • Blind analysis to identify ECG correlates and clinical associations.

Main Results:

  • Striking female predominance (82% women vs. 18% men; p<0.0005).
  • Significant ECG correlate: more vertical QRS axis in women (+14.1° vs. -5.6°; p=0.034).
  • Symmetric T waves in 68%; asymmetry linked to digoxin (p<0.0005) and shorter QTc intervals.
  • Symmetric T wave inversions common in acute myocardial infarction (28 patients) and CNS disorders (23 patients).
  • Coronary artery disease present in 15/18 patients undergoing angiography.

Conclusions:

  • Global T wave inversion exhibits a significant female predominance.
  • A vertical QRS axis is a key ECG correlate in women with this pattern.
  • T wave symmetry/asymmetry provides diagnostic clues, with asymmetry linked to digoxin and symmetric patterns to acute cardiac or neurological events.

Related Experiment Videos