Cardiac Axis: Alteration Factors, Left Axis Deviation, Right Axis Deviation and Vector Analysis

The heart’s electrical axis is the average direction of the action potentials that travel through the ventricles during ventricular activation.

The QRS complex, which represents ventricular depolarization, is used to determine the Cardiac Axis. This complex refers to three vectors that describe the following:

  • Wave Q: It has negative values ​​and is the first wave that appears on the electrocardiograms.
  • Wave R is the classic image of the electrocardiogram; it has a positive polarity and is the wave after the Q.
  • Wave S: Possesses negative polarity and follows R.

The term, Electric Cardiac Axis, usually refers to the electrical axis in the frontal plane measured by the wires of the limb.

Typically, the vector that represents the Cardiac Axis originates in the AV node (Auriculoventricular), where the ventricular activation begins and points towards the left ventricle.

This is because the massive left ventricle dominates the process of ventricular depolarization.

Alteration factors

Many factors can alter the Cardiac Axis, which include:

  • The abnormal anatomical position of the heart in the thoracic cavity (as in Dextrocardia ).
  • Abnormal thoracic anatomy.
  • Strange position of the diaphragm (as in obesity, pregnancy, ascites).
  • Cardiopulmonary pathology.
  • Previous myocardial infarction.
  • Recent ischemia.
  • Pulmonary embolism.
  • Obstructive pulmonary disease.
  • Myocardial hypertrophy.
  • Dilated cardiomyopathy.
  • Driving abnormalities.

The average electrical axis of the heart is between -30 degrees and +90 degrees (90 degrees positive) concerning the horizontal line. The variations in the Electric Cardiac Axis can be classified as the deviation of the left axis, deviation of the right axis, or extreme deviation of the axis.

 

Deviation of the left axis

The Electric Cardiac Axis is between -30 degrees (negative 30 degrees) and -90 degrees (negative 90 degrees) concerning the horizontal line.

The causes of the deviation of the left axis include:

  • Left ventricular hypertrophy (the left ventricle enlarges and generates more electrical activity, so the Cardiac Axis “moves” to the left).
  • Obesity (in obese people, the diaphragm is often placed high by pushing the heart up and turning the heart and its electrical axis to the left).
  • Left branch block (Note that in patients with LBB, deviation from the left axis, normal axis, and, to a lesser extent, deviation from the right axis can also be found).
  • Left anterior fascicular block.

Deviation of the right axis

The Electric Cardiac Axis is between +90 degrees (90 degrees positive) and 180 degrees (180 degrees positive) with respect to the horizontal line.

The causes of the deviation of the right axis include:

  • Right ventricular hypertrophy (the right ventricle enlarges and generates more electrical activity, so the Cardiac Axis “moves” to the right).
  • Loss of tissue from the left ventricle (for example, caused by myocardial infarction).
  • Pulmonary embolism (Due to obstruction in the pulmonary artery, the right ventricle has to generate higher pressures to pump blood to the pulmonary artery, which results in the increased electrical activity of the right ventricle and a deviation of the right axis).

Vector analysis for the determination of the Cardiac Axis

In determining the Electric Cardiac Axis using vectorial analysis, ventricular depolarization is represented as a mean depolarization vector with an arrow pointing to a specific direction.

The length of the vector represents the magnitude of the potential created by the difference in charges between the activated (or depolarized) cardiac cells and the resting cardiac cells. In contrast, the direction of the arrow represents the average direction of the depolarization vectors concerning the front cables.

Ventricular depolarization spreads from a negatively charged area to a positively charged area. Therefore, the mean depolarization vector points to the positively charged site.

By integrating the information obtained from different limb leads, the Electric Cardiac Axis can be determined by excluding all “impossible scenarios.”

When the QRS complexes in leads I and II deviate predominantly positively, all deviations from the left, right, and end axes are excluded. Therefore, the Electric Cardiac Axis is within the normal range.

When the QRS complexes in leads I and VF deviate positively, all deviations from the left, right and end axes are excluded. Therefore, the Electric Cardiac Axis is within the normal range.