What differentiates wandering atrial pacemaker from multifocal atrial tachycardia?

Wandering atrial pacemaker is characterized by a heart rate that typically ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, while multifocal atrial tachycardia usually presents with a rate exceeding 100 beats per minute. This notable distinction in heart rate is crucial for diagnosis, as it helps healthcare providers differentiate between the two conditions.

In wandering atrial pacemaker, the variability in the P wave morphology seen on an electrocardiogram is due to a single ectopic focus moving between different locations in the atria, whereas multifocal atrial tachycardia involves multiple ectopic foci, which often results in a faster heart rate. The differences in heart rate are a key clinical feature that assists in accurate identification and treatment of each arrhythmia. Other factors such as the presence of atrial fibrillation, patient age, and P wave duration may vary, but they do not provide a clear differentiation between wandering atrial pacemaker and multifocal atrial tachycardia like heart rate does.