ECG in a Patient with a Fractured Arm Mimicking Atrial Flutter

Abstract

We present a patient with fracture of the right arm who had an electrocardiogram (ECG) that mimicked atrial flutter. We describe ways to correctly identify the rhythm in cases of suspected atrial flutter and describe the mechanism of the artifactual waves seen in our patient's ECG. Our case report also discusses specific ECG patterns that can be used to localize the source of the artifacts.