7. ECG drugs Flashcards
ECG axis
The x-axis measure time (s)
• The y-axis measures voltage (mV)
5 steps of reporting an ECG
- Report the rhythm = the heartbeat
- Rate of the ecg
- Sinus rhythm
- Examine the waves separately
- Axis – net depolarisation captured by the lead
How to find ECG rhythm
○ Lead 2 rhythm strip look at the number of boxes between 2 r waves
○ Check for the same number of boxes between all r waves = regular rhythm
▪ Constant no of boxes btw r waves =regular rhythm
•10 times method - rate
– Rhythm strips are marked in 3 second increments
– Obtain 6 second strip
– Count P and/or R waves
– Multiply by 10
– Voila, you have the atrial and/or ventricular rate!
•1500 method (300 method) - rate
– Used for regular rate
– 1500 small squares (300 large squares) = 1 minute
– Count small squares between consecutive P and/or R waves
– Divide by 1500 (300)
– Voila, you have the atrial and/or ventricular rate!
Irregular rhythm
- If the rhythm is irregular
- Calculate heart rate by counting the number of QRS complexes in 6 seconds, then x by 10
•Can use same method for regular rhythms
– But quicker to calculate heart rate by dividing 300 by the number of squares of the R - R interval
- Sinus rhythm
• Rhythm originates from sa node
○ Check that p waves are upright in all leads – check each p wave originates from qrs complex
Left axis deviation
○ Left axis deviation - waves are leaving = left ventricular hypertrophy
Right axis deviation
○ Right axis deviation = right ventricular hypertrophy
Extreme axis deviation
○ Extreme axis deviation – going to the opposite direction
2 types of Arrhythmias
- Brady = decrease heart rate
* Tachy = increase heart rate
2 main reasons for brady arrythmia
- Reduced automaticity of sa node
* Conduction block
• Reduced automaticity of sa node
○ Seen in endurance athletes
○ Vagal tone
○ Low metabolic rate – caused by hypothyroidism, hypothermia
• Conduction block
○ Between atria and ventricles = heart blocks
Sinus brady arythmia
everything in the waves is normal, cardiac output is reduced
2 causes of heart blocks
- Acute myocardial infarction
* Degenerative changes
3 types of heart blocks
• First degree heart block • Second degree heart block ○ Mobitz type 1 ○ Mobitz type 2 • Third degree heart block (Complete Heart Block)
1st degree heart block
•PR interval prolonged >0.2 seconds (5 small boxes)
▪ some conduction btw sa and av node but it is slow= increase pr interval
▪ Increased pr interval throughout
2nd degree heart block
Mobitz type 1
- Also called Wenkebach type
- Successively longer PR intervals until one QRS dropped
- Then cycle starts again
2nd degree heart block
•Mobitz type II
- PR intervals do not lengthen, but suddenly dropped a QRS complex = abrupt and dangerous
- High risk of progression to complete third degree heart block
3rd degree heart block
- Complete failure of atrioventricular conduction – no conduction between atria nd ventricles
- Ventricular pacemaker takes over (Ventricular escape rhythm)
- Usually wide QRS complexes
- Ventricular Rate is very slow (~30 - 40 bpm), often too slow to maintain BP
- Urgent pacemaker insertion usually require
- P – P intervals constant and about about 93 pbm
- R – R intervals constant but much slower (about 37 bpm)
- No relationship between P waves and QRS complexes
- (the P-R interval completely variable from beat to beat)
Narrow QRs complex
Block above av node = it still generates impulse = narrow qrs
Broad QRs complex
Block below av node = ventricle is on its own, slow ventricular depolarisation = broad qrs
3 main reasons for tachy arrythmias
- Increased automaticity
- Triggered activity
- Re-entrant circuits
• Increased automaticity
Is due to
○ Increased sympathetic innervation
○ Increased metabolic rate – hyperthyroidism, hyperthermia
2 types of triggered activity
Early after depolarization EAD current
Delayed after depolarisations
Early after depolarization EAD current
triggered depolarization between phase 2 and 3, L type calcium channels open due to low potassium, magnesium, calcium, some drugs (antibiotics, antipsychotics, antidepressants)
Delayed after depolarisations
○ Delayed after depolarisations – myocardial ischaemia - due to sarcoplasmic calcium reserves being active
2 Classifications of tachy aryhtmias
- Supra ventricular (SVT) - arythmia is generated above ventricle
- Ventricular tachycardia
Example of ventricular tachycardia
○ Ventricular ectopic beats
Example of Supra ventricular (SVT)
○ Atrial fibrilation
Ventricular ectopic beats
- Aberrant beat which fires when not stimulated by the SA node
- QRS complex is wide
- Qrs is uniform = monomorphic vt
- Qrs is not regular there is an increase and decrease = polymorphic vt
- Both monomorphic and polymorphic vt can progress to a ventricular fibrillation – dangerous give immediate de fib
- Does not follow a P wave
- Can occur in healthy individuals randomly in the day
- Very common after MI
- Often due to DAD’s
Monomorphic ventricular tachycardia
Qrs is uniform
Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia
Qrs is not regular there is an increase and decrease
Atrial fibrillation
- Most common arrhythmia!
- Progressive development
- AF begets AF
—> multiple small ‘f’ waves replace P waves in ECG
•Irregularly irregular pulse and ventricular capture
Risk of clotting due to pooling of blood in atria
Ventricular fibrillation
- Numerous uncoordinated depolarisations within the ventricles
- No control of contraction
- No cardiac output
- Death will result unless successful defibrillation
- No distinct waveforms on ECG
Myocardial ischaemia - what is t
—> Inadequate blood supply = occlusion of the left anterior descending artery (could be due to plaque)
4 types of myocardial ischaemia
. Stable angina
Unstable angina
Subendocardial infarction
Transmural infarct
Stable angina
- Stable fibrous cap
- Chest pain only on exertion
- ischaema
Unstable angina
- Plaque can rupture – stable angina progresses
- Open plaque with no fibrous cap – contents spill out
- Chest pain at rest
- Increased occlusion of vessel
- Ischamia but no cell death – no troponin in blood
- st depression, t wave inversion