P wave dispersion over two decades after its discovery. What the cardiologist should know

Abstract

For years, there has been an increase in cases of atrial fibrillation, reaching alarming levels. This is why intense work is done to find predictors of this arrhythmia. The electrocardiogram has shown to be useful for this purpose, and multiple indices derived from the P wave have been developed. Among the most notable is the P wave dispersion (PWD). It has been verified that PWD can predict the occurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in the absence of diseases as well as in the context of multiple cardiovascular pathologies or other systems. PWD is considered by most researchers to be the result of inhomogeneous conduction of the atrial electrical impulse, but a vector explanation may play a role in its genesis. The large body of evidence surrounding PWD supports its use in clinical practice.