QTc

When I started my training, if you had asked me what the QTc was, I would probably have told you it was one of those funny shopping channels on cable TV.

Then cisapride came along (Google it, kids) and changed all that. Nowadays every colleague who asks me to review an ECG tells me the QTc. In fact, in many cases, it’s the first thing I’m told about. Not the rhythm, or the rate, but the QTc.

If I’m feeling mischievous I’ll ask why they’ve measured the QTc and what normal is. This often gets met with a nervous shuffling of the ECG.

So to rectify this and avoid further awkward silences I decided to produce the infographic below  – attempting to summarise everything you need to know about prolonged QT in one handy picture.