Electrocardiographic (ECG) differentiation of wide QRS complex beats and tachycardias is often challenging. If the abnormality causing the wide QRS complexes is not managed appropriately, a negative outcome may occur. Wide QRS complex beats and tachycardias may be ventricular in origin or may be supraventricular impulses conducted abnormally through the ventricles, resulting in a wide QRS complex with a duration of greater than 0.12 seconds.

Marriott and Sandler1  published the foundational evidence for use of QRS morphology to differentiate between ventricular ectopy and ventricular aberration. They discouraged reliance on physical examination skills alone.1  Much of their work and contributions from others related to QRS morphology is still important today. This column is the second in a series examining differentiation of ventricular aberration from ventricular ectopy. Differentiation of aberrantly conducted beats was presented in the previous column.2  In this column, the common ECG characteristics of ventricular ectopy will...

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