Atrial Rhythms Flashcards
How is the morphology of atrial arrhythmia’s P-wave (5)
Flattened Notched Peaked Sawtoothed Diphasic
When are atrial rhythm caused?
When the atrial rate becomes faster than the sinus rate
What does diphasic mean?
There is an upward deflection and then dips below the isoelectric line
When is the wandering pacemaker caused?
When the pacemaker role switches from beat to beat from the SA node to the atria and back again
Wandering pacemaker
Regularity
Slightly irregular
Wandering pacemaker
Rate
60-100
Not more than 150
Wandering pacemaker
P wave morhphology
Morphology changes from one complex to the next
Wandering pacemaker
PRI time
Less than .20
Varies
Wandering pacemaker
QRS time
Less than .12 second
What is an ectopic beat?
A single beat that arises from a focus outside the SA node
When does an ectopic beat initiate?
When a site somewhere becomes irritable and overrides the SA node for a single beat
An early or premature ectopic beat indicates what?
Irritability
An ectopic beat that is preceded by a prolonged R-R cycle is what?
Escape beat
What is an atrial ectopic caused by irritability called?
Premature Atrial complex (PAC)
Premature Atrial Complex
Regularity
Depends on underlying rhythm
Premature Atrial Complex
Rate
Depends on underlying rhythm
Premature Atrial Complex
P wave morphology (3)
Flattened
Notched
Lost in preceding t wave
Premature Atrial Complex
PRI
.12-.20
Can exceed .20
Premature Atrial Complex
QRS
Less than .12
What is atrial tachycardia?
When a single focus in the atria become so irritable it overrides the SA node for the entire rhythm
Atrial tachycardia
Regularity
Regular
Atrial tachycardia
Rate
150-250
Atrial tachycardia
P wave morphology
Atrial p waves (flattened, notched, diphasic)
Can be lost in t wave
Atrial tachycardia
PRI time
.12-.20
Atrial tachycardia
QRS time
Less than .12
What is atrial flutter?
When the atrial become so irritable that they fire faster than 250 bpm
What is a variable block?
When the AV node becomes very erratic about conducting impulses the ratio between F waves and QRS complexes can vary which creates and irregular RRI
Atrial flutter
Regularity
Atrial rhythm is regular
Ventricle rhythm usually is regular unless there’s a variable block
Atrial flutter
Rate
250-350
Atrial flutter
P wave morphology
Sawtooth pattern
Atrial flutter
PRI
Unable to determine
Atrial flutter
QRS
Less than .12 second
What is atrial fibrillation?
When the atrial become so irritable they are no longer beating but are quivering ineffectively
What are the fibrillatory waves of atrial fibrillation called?
f waves
What is atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response (uncontrolled)?
Atrial fibrillation with a rate greater than 100
Atrial fibrillation
Regularity
Grossly irregular
Atrial fibrillation
Rate
Atrial rate greater than 350
Ventricular rate varies
Atrial fibrillation
P wave morphology
No discernible p waves (f waves)
Atrial fibrillation
PRI
Unable to measure
Atrial fibrillation
QRS
Less than .12
What are little f waves a sign of?
Fibrillation
What are big F waves used for?
Fluttering
