It takes between two and three months to get a result. Genetic testing (from a blood sample) can be useful, see below. This is an extract from an ECG in someone without LQTS. An ECG taken during and after exercise can be helpful. It may be necessary to do a number of ECGs to be certain, because the QT interval can vary a lot over time. In some cases the abnormalities are obvious, in others they may be very subtle, and it may require expert judgement to make the call. The shape of the T wave is also abnormal. If this Q-T interval is longer than normal, long QT syndrome can be diagnosed. The time between the Q and the T waves includes the time when the heart is recharging, ready for the next beat. The electrical phases of the heart beat are named after the alphabet P,Q,R,S,T,U. The diagnosis is made on the basis of a cardiac test: the electrocardiogram (ECG). In LQTS these channels don’t work properly.
Normal qt interval series#
Your heartbeat is controlled by a series of electrical impulses, which are made by moving charged particles of potassium and sodium across channels in the heart cell walls.
What is the underlying problem? LQTS is caused by a problem within the heart muscle cells. It may also tragically present with a sudden death. Sometimes this may lead to seizures at the time of the collapse, and misdiagnosis as epilepsy is common. The other half may have recurrent sudden blackouts (sudden loss of consciousness) due to the heart beating so quickly it cannot pump blood to the brain. About half of people with the condition never have a symptom. LQTS is an inherited disorder affecting 1 in 2000 people.
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