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What is a possible variation cause with the ST segment?

a) Myocardial infarction.
b) Atrial fibrillation.
c) Ventricular tachycardia.
d) Atrioventricular block.

User Dfmuir
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Myocardial infarction is a possible variation cause with the ST segment, where an elevation of the segment often indicates an acute MI due to ischemic injury to the heart muscle. Other conditions such as atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and atrioventricular block cause different ECG abnormalities not typically associated with ST segment changes.

Step-by-step explanation:

A possible variation cause with the ST segment is myocardial infarction (MI). The ST segment represents the period between ventricular depolarization and repolarization, and deviations from the baseline can indicate various cardiac events. An elevation of the ST segment above the baseline often occurs in patients experiencing an acute MI; this is due to injury current from the region of the myocardium that is not receiving sufficient blood flow and oxygen (ischemia). On the other hand, while conditions like atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and atrioventricular block can cause abnormalities on an electrocardiogram (ECG), they are not typically associated with ST segment changes. Atrial fibrillation involves irregular electrical patterns before the QRS complex, ventricular tachycardia presents as abnormal QRS complexes, and atrioventricular block shows a disruption in the correlation between atrial (P wave) and ventricular (QRS complex) activities.

User Justin Fisher
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