capture beats
ECG finding in ventricular tachycardia where occasional supraventricular impulses conduct to ventricles.
Full Definition
Intermittent narrow QRS complexes that appear during wide complex tachycardia when supraventricular impulses successfully 'capture' the ventricles by conducting through the normal conduction system. These beats occur when the timing allows a sinus or atrial impulse to penetrate the ventricular rhythm and produce a normal QRS morphology. Capture beats are pathognomonic for ventricular tachycardia and help differentiate it from supraventricular tachycardia with aberrant conduction. Their presence confirms that the underlying wide complex rhythm originates from the ventricles rather than above the AV junction.
Usage
Usage note: Always plural form 'beats' when referring to this ECG finding.
In Context
- "Occasional capture beats during the wide complex tachycardia confirmed ventricular origin." — ECG analysis report
- "The presence of capture beats made the diagnosis of ventricular tachycardia definitive." — Cardiology consultation note