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Multiple Choice

What are the P waves like in junctional tachycardia?

In junctional tachycardia the impulse starts in the AV junction, so atrial depolarization occurs retrogradely. This often makes the P waves inverted because the atria are activated in the opposite direction from normal; they can also appear after the QRS as late P waves if atrial activation follows ventricular depolarization. At higher heart rates, P waves may be hidden in the QRS. So the typical description is inverted or late P waves.

In junctional tachycardia the impulse starts in the AV junction, so atrial depolarization occurs retrogradely. This often makes the P waves inverted because the atria are activated in the opposite direction from normal; they can also appear after the QRS as late P waves if atrial activation follows ventricular depolarization. At higher heart rates, P waves may be hidden in the QRS. So the typical description is inverted or late P waves.