Arrhythmias: Action potential, ECG, and antiarrhythmics Flashcards
What is automaticity, what is excitability, conductivity
Ability of a cell to initiate an electrical impulse, ability of cell to respond to electrical stimuli, ability of cells to receive and transmit an electrical impulse between adjacent cells
What is ectopy, what is the normal conduction system
Situation in which an electrical impulse is generated outside of the normal conduction system, SA node
What is the normal heart rate produced by SA node, how does the electrical current travel
60-100 bpm, current disseminates down left and right atria and move to the AV node, entering the ventricle system and then transmitted through the Bundle of HIS, spreads among the bundle branches until reaching the Purjinke Fibers causing contracting
What are other sources of automaticity, what BPM do they produce
AV node: 40-60 bpm, Bundle branches: 40-60 bpm, Purkinje Fibers: 20-40 bpm
What is affected by parasympathetic nodal conduction, what drives the conduction
The vagal tone (SA node, AV node, and Atrial response)/ catecholamines, acetylcholine, Calcium channel activity
What is affected by sympathetic nodal conduction, what drives the conduction
Mycotes/ catecholamines, Sodium channels, Potassium channels, calcium channel activity
What controls the rate of the SA node, what is it
The funny current: slow inward depolarizing Sodium inward currents
What are the three phases of SA node conduction, what, brief summary of each phase
Phase 4: Spontaneous depolarization to threshold, Phase 0: Depolarization throughout the cell due to the action potential
Phase 3: Repolarization of the cell
What occurs during phase 4 for the SA node
The funny current causes the cell to depolarize, once the cell hits -50mV T-type calcium channels aid in depolarizng the cell, once the cell hits -40mV L-type calcium channels open driving depolarization of the cell until action potential occurs
What causes depolarization throughout the cell
L-type calcium channels as the T-type calcium channels and funny currents start to close
What causes repolarization during Phase 3, what dominates ion movement and provides automatcity
Potassium channels open and potassium efflux until the cell is back to -60mV to which the potassium channels close, the funny current
What are the phases in cardiac myocyte action potentials
Phase 4: Slow depolarization from potassium leaks and small rush of sodium and calcium ions due to gap junctions
Phase 0: Rapid depolarization due to sodium ion influx
Phase 1: Brief repolarization due to sodium channels closing and potassium channels AND calcium channels open
Phase 2: Plataeu contraction due to balanced potassium efflux and calcium influx
Phase 3: Repolarizastion due to calcium channels closing and potassium channels staying open long enough for the cell to reach resting potential. Once the cell hits resting potential potassium channels close
What is the P-wave, QRS-Wave (upper limit ms), T-wave, RR-interval
P-wave: atrium depolarization, ventricular muscle depolarization (120 ms), ventricular repolarization, Time between R-R peaks for the QRS complexes
What is the PR interval, what should the ms be if it is normal, what does it mean if it is higher than the normal range
Delay through the AV node, 200 mv or less , 1st degree AV block
What is the QT interval, what effects it, what is the equation for QTc
Start of ventricular contraction to ventricular end of relaxation, potassium efflux, QTc (sec)= QT (sec)/√RR (sec)
What is considered prolonged QTc in men, women
Greater than 470, greater than 480
T/F: If the wave ends on the right side of midway point of an RR interval it is normal while on the left side means a possible arrhythymia
False: if the T wave ends before the halfway point then it is normal but if the T wave is to the right side of the midpoint between the RR-interval then it is prolonged
What are the three ways the arrhythmias can occur
Increased automaticity, Triggered activity, re-entry
What is the physiological change seen in increased automaticity, where can it occur, how can this lead to arrhythymias
Increased phase 4 slope increasing the heart rate, SA node and other tissues,the rate of spontaneous impulse generation exceeds that of the SA node
What are characteristics of increased automaticity, medications that possibly cause, conditions that possibly cause
Initiating beat is identical to subsequent beats/ digoxin and catecholamines/ Hypoxia, cardiac dilation, hypokalemia