What happens if you have the direction going the wrong way on the cardiac axis, what causes it, dangerous?

Question

What happens if you have the direction going the wrong way on the cardiac axis, what causes it, dangerous?

Answer 1

An axis shift can occur if there is chamber thickening or enlargement as in hypertension(toward the problem) or dead or damaged heart muscle as in heart attack(away from the problem.  Also if there is a short circuit in the electrical conduction within the heart(bundle branch block, hemiblock).

Answer 2

Causes, reversed arm electrodes, dextrocardia, Wolf-Parkinson White,left posterior hemilock,left anterior hemilock, inferior wall MI,COPD, pvc's,apical pacing. Different axis deviation can diagnose cardiac problems  such as fibrosis from coronary insufficiency,, CHF, left ventricular hypertension, chronic cardiac failure,cardiomyopathy,calcification of the LBBB,,MI,pulmonary embolism,congenital heart disease,left ventricular apical aneurysm,PVC's,S1S2S3{seen in PE), ventricular tachycardia. Some problems are of course more serious than others and a axis deviation can help to diagnose serious cardiac arrythmias and indicate cardiac decompensation.

Answer 3

If an axis is abnormal, there are three directions in which it could be abnormal.  Look up the following terms (with "EKG") and you should be able to find potential causes of each.

Left Axis Deviation

Right Axis Deviation

Extreme Right Axis Deviation