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. 2007 Mar 26;30(3):110–115. doi: 10.1002/clc.20034

Left bundle‐branch block—pathophysiology, prognosis, and clinical management

Pietro Francia 1, Cristina Balla 1, Francesco Paneni 1, Massimo Volpe 1,✉
PMCID: PMC6653265  PMID: 17385703

Abstract

Given its broad use as a screening tool, the electrocardiogram (ECG) has largely become one of the most common diagnostic tests performed in routine clinical practice. As a result, the finding of left bundle‐branch block (LBBB) in the absence of a well‐defined clinical setting has become relatively frequent and raises questions and often concerns. While in the absence of clinically detectable heart disease LBBB does not necessarily imply poor outcomes, physicians should be aware of the role of LBBB in stratifying risk of cardiovascular events and death in subjects with both ischemic and nonischemic heart disease. This paper reviews historical landmarks, pathophysiologic features, prognostic implications, and clinical management of LBBB in apparently healthy subjects and those with heart disease. Copyright © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keywords: left bundle‐branch block, electrocardiogram, history of medicine

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