An electrocardiogram can be used to identify a ventricular escape beat.

The ventricular escape beat follows a long pause in ventricular rhythm and acts to prevent cardiac arrest.

A ventricular bradycardia, also known as ventricular escape rhythm or idioventricular rhythm, is a heart rate of less than 50 bpm.

Ouabain infusion decreases ventricular escape time and increases ventricular escape rhythm.

Ventricular escape (rate 20-40): originates in ventricular conduction system; no P wave, wide, abnormal QRS.

It is usually not effective in second-degree heart block Mobitz type 2, and in third-degree heart block with a low Purkinje or ventricular escape rhythm.

Ventricular escape beats differ from ventricular extrasystoles (or premature ventricular contractions), which are spontaneous electrical discharges of the ventricles.

If the rate from both the SA and AV node fall below the discharge rate of ventricular pacemaker cells, a ventricular escape beat ensues.

For a patient with a ventricular escape beat, the shape of the QRS complex is broader as the impulse can not travel quickly via the normal electrical conduction system.

It indicates a failure of the electrical conduction system of the heart to stimulate the ventricles (which would lead to the absence of heartbeats, unless ventricular escape beats occur).

In cardiology a ventricular escape beat is a self-generated electrical discharge initiated by, and causing contraction of, the ventricles of the heart; normally the heart rhythm is begun in the atria of the heart and is subsequently transmitted to the ventricles.