Example of torsades de pointes and ventricular flutter

Shown are three ECG leads (I, II, III); bradycardia and prolongation of the QT interval are present. Several runs of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, called torsades de pointes (TdP) when associated with QT prolongation are seen (panel A); after several minutes, a rapid sustained ventricular tachycardia, sometimes called ventricular flutter, occurs (panel B). This is closely related to ventricular fibrillation.