A First Look at the ECG Flashcards
in what plane do standard limb leads look a events?
vertical (frontal)
what are the 3 standard limb leads?
SLL I (left arm to right arm)
SLL II (left leg to right arm)
SLL III (left leg to left arm)
what are the basic principles of standard limb leads?
- fast events (depolarisation and repolarisation of action potential) are transmitted well
- slow events (plateau of the action potential) are not transmitted well
- a wave of approaching depolarisation causes an upward-going blip
what does each lead of the SLL record?
difference in potential between the two body parts
what can the depolarisation wave be compared to?
wave of water
what happens if a wave of depolarisation travels towards the left arm?
positive potential relative to the other node
what happens if a wave of depolarisation travels away from the left arm?
negative potential compared to other node
what happens if a wave of repolarisation travels towards the left arm?
Negative potential compared to other node
what happens if a wave of repolarisation travels away from left arm?
positive potential compared to other node
what does the P wave of an ECG represent?
atrial depolarisation
what does the QRS complex of an ECG represent?
ventricular depolarisation
what does the T wave of an ECG represent?
ventricular repolarisation
what does the flat line between the P wave and Q on an ECG represent?
plateau of atrial repolarisation
what does the flat line between S and the T wave on an ECG represent?
plateau after ventricular depolarisation
what does the plateau of atrial and ventricular repolarisation show a flat line on the ECG?
slow even so is not detected well
what is the PR interval?
time from atrial depolarisation to ventricular depolarisation
what is the time from atrial depolarisation and ventricular depolarisation called?
PR interval
what is the PR interval due to?
transmission through AV node
what is the time of the PR interval normally?
0.12 - 0.2s
what is the QRS interval?
time for the whole of the ventricle to depolarise
0.08s
what is the QT interval?
time spent while ventricles are depolarising
0.42s at 60bpm
what does the QT interval vary with?
heartrate
what cannot be seen on the ECG?
atrial repolarisation
coincides with ventricular depolarisation which involves much more tissue depolarising faster so swamps any signal
why is the QRS complex so complicated?
different parts of the ventricle depolarising at different times in different directions
why is the T wave positive?
action potential is no longer in endocardial cells but in epicardial cells so the wave runs in the opposite direction to the wave of depolarisation
in which SLL is the R wave biggest?
SLL II
why is the R wave biggest in SLL II?
the main vector of depolarision is in line with the axis of recording from the left leg with respect to the right arm