It is a type of cardiac aberrancy and it is more often misinterpreted as a premature ventricular complex.

[2] Ashman beats are described as wide complex QRS complexes that follow a short R-R interval preceded by a long R-R interval.

[citation needed] It occurs because the duration of the refractory period of the myocardium is proportional to the R-R interval of the preceding cycle.

A short R-R interval is associated with a shorter duration of action potential and vice versa.

[citation needed] Clinically, it is often asymptomatic by itself and considered benign in nature.