The Irregular Heart Rhythms of Bigeminy

4. Rule of Bigeminy

Doctors will often use an electrocardiogram to diagnose bigeminy. The test records the pattern of heartbeats, so a physician can check the results for potential causes of the irregular rhythm. On an EKG, the presence and severity of bigeminy depend on the length of the P-P interval, the space between P waves, or the first waves in a standard EKG, and signal atrial contraction. Essentially, bigeminy depends on the length of time between each heart contraction or full heartbeat. This is the “rule of bigeminy.”