Which electrocardiographic change is associated with hypercalcemia?

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Multiple Choice

Which electrocardiographic change is associated with hypercalcemia?

Explanation:
Hypercalcemia speeds up ventricular repolarization, shortening the plateau phase of the cardiac action potential. Since the QT interval largely reflects the duration of ventricular repolarization (the ST segment plus the tail of the T wave), higher calcium shortens this period, producing a noticeably shorter QT interval on the ECG. In contrast, a prolonged QT interval occurs with hypocalcemia or drugs that slow repolarization, and ST segment elevation or T wave inversion are not typical features of hypercalcemia—they’re more associated with acute myocardial injury or ischemia, pericarditis, or other conditions.

Hypercalcemia speeds up ventricular repolarization, shortening the plateau phase of the cardiac action potential. Since the QT interval largely reflects the duration of ventricular repolarization (the ST segment plus the tail of the T wave), higher calcium shortens this period, producing a noticeably shorter QT interval on the ECG.

In contrast, a prolonged QT interval occurs with hypocalcemia or drugs that slow repolarization, and ST segment elevation or T wave inversion are not typical features of hypercalcemia—they’re more associated with acute myocardial injury or ischemia, pericarditis, or other conditions.

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