Journal of Electrocardiology
Volume 36 , Pages 133-137 , December 2003

The elusive U wave: a simple explanation of its genesis

  • Henk J. Ritsema van Eck, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Henk J. Ritsema van Eck, Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus MC, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • ,
  • Jan A. Kors, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • ,
  • Gerard van Herpen, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

References 

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  4. Di Bernardo D, Murray A. Origin on the electrocardiogram of U-waves and abnormal U-wave inversion. Cardiovasc Res. 2002;53:202
  5. Surawicz B. U wave (Facts, hypotheses, misconceptions, and misnomers). J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 1998;9:1117
  6. Wu J, Wu J, Zipes DP. Early afterdepolarisations, U waves, and Torsade de Pointes. Circulation. 2002;105:675
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  9. Drouin E, Charpentier F, Gauthier C, et al.  Electrophysiological characteristics of cells spanning the left ventricular wall of human heart (Evidence for the presence of M cells). J Am Coll Cardiol. 1995;26:185
  10. Plonsey R. Action potential sources and their volume conductor fields. Proc IEEE. 1977;65:601
  11. Burger HC, Van Milaan JB. Heart-vector and leads. Brit Heart J. 1946;8:157
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  13. Burger HC, Van Milaan JB. Heart-vector and leads. Part III. Brit Heart J. 1948;10:229
  14. Einthoven W. The different forms of the human electrocardiogram and their signification. Lancet. 1912;30:853
  15. Watanabe Y. Purkinje repolarization as a possible cause of the U wave in the electrocardiogram. Circulation. 1975;51:1030
  16. Lepeschkin E. Physiologic basis of the U wave. In:  Schlant RC,  Hurst JW editor. Advances in Electrocardiography. New York, NY: Grune & Stratton; 1972;p. 431
  17. Nesterenko VV, Antzelevitch C. Simulation of the electrocardiographic U wave in heterogeneous myocardium (Effect of local junctional resistance). Proc Computers in Cardiology. Los Alamitos: IEEE Comput Soc Press; 1992; p 43
  18. Yan G, Antzelevitch C. Cellular basis for the normal T wave and the electrocardiographic manifestations of the long-QT syndrome. Circulation. 1998;98:1928
  19. Ritsema van Eck HJ. Fiducial segment averaging to improve cardiac interval estimates. J Electrocardiol. 2002;35(suppl):89
  20. Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP) . Points to consider: the assessment of the potential for QT interval prolongation by non-cardiovascular medicinal products. Report CPMP/987/96. London: CPMP; 1997;
  21. Fenichel R, Koerner J. Development of drug that alter ventricular repolarization. Washington: Report Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research; 1999;

PII: S0022-0736(03)00125-0

doi: 10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2003.09.037

Journal of Electrocardiology
Volume 36 , Pages 133-137 , December 2003