Valve — ECG/EKG Terminology

Definition: Structure in veins or in the heart that temporarily closes an opening so that blood flows in only one direction.

Key Facts

• Cardiac valves maintain forward blood flow by opening and closing with pressure gradients.
• Atrioventricular valves open in diastole; semilunar valves open in systole.
• Valve dysfunction can lead to chamber enlargement, pressure overload, or heart failure.

ECG Connection: Valve disease often produces indirect ECG findings such as chamber hypertrophy or atrial arrhythmias.

Why It Matters: Technicians should correlate waveform changes with clinical signs of valvular decompensation.