UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Cardiology

Title: Hypokalemia ECGs

Posted: 7/25/2010 by Amal Mattu, MD (Updated: 4/25/2024)
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Classic electrocardiographic findings for hypokalemia:
u-waves (produces appearance of long QT), especially in the precordial leads
ventricular ectopy (PVCs typically)
ST segment depression or downward sagging, especially in the precordial leads

note that the sagging ST segments that terminate in large U-waves end up producing biphasic T-waves; these have the mirror image appearance of Wellens waves