Premature ventricular contraction (PVC)
Also calledPVC · ventricular premature complex · VPC · ventricular premature beat · ventricular extrasystole · VPB
Definition
An early beat arising from an ectopic focus in the ventricles, below the bundle of His, rather than from an impulse conducted from the atria. Its QRS is premature, abnormal in shape, and usually wide (more than 120 ms), with no preceding P wave; PVCs from the septum or close to the conduction system can be narrower. The T wave is usually broad and opposite in direction to the QRS (discordant), and a full compensatory pause typically follows, so the R-R interval around the PVC equals two normal cycles.
Clinical noteThe compensatory pause is typical but not universal: a PVC with no pause is called interpolated.
Sources
- Yap R, Calian D, Wright M, et al. Premature ventricular complexes. Clin Med (Lond). 2026;26(4):100609. doi.org/10.1016/j.clinme.2026.100609
- Koester C, Ibrahim AM, Cancel M, Labedi MR. The ubiquitous premature ventricular complex. Cureus. 2020;12(1):e6585. doi.org/10.7759/cureus.6585
- Samesima N, God EG, Kruse JCL, et al. Brazilian Society of Cardiology guidelines on the analysis and issuance of electrocardiographic reports - 2022. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2022;119(4):638-680. doi.org/10.36660/abc.20220623
Last reviewed 2 October 2026. Every definition in the EKG Dictionary cites the guideline, consensus statement or original paper it comes from.