Basic EKG Interpretation

Question 1

what is EKG?

Answer 1

electrocardiography- reps the electrical activity of the heart which give clues to the mechanics of the heart

Question 2

what controls elecrical activity of the heart?

Answer 2

SA node, Bachman’s bundle, AV node (bundle of his), right/ left bundle branch, Purkinje fibers

Question 3

SA node can…

Answer 3

signal the heart to beat w/out receiving a signal from the brain

Question 4

AV node can…

Answer 4

is the back up insurance for SA node dysfunction and gives time for ventricles to fill

Question 5

SA node

Answer 5

high in R atrium
automaticity
rate of 60-100 bpm
natural pacemaker of the heart

Question 6

Bachman’s bundle

Answer 6

carries impulses from the R to L atrium

Question 7

AV node

Answer 7

floor of R atrium
rate of 40-60 bpm
slows conduction

Question 8

Right/Left bundle branch

Answer 8

carries impulses down each ventricle

Question 9

Purkinje fibers

Answer 9

rate of 15-40 bpm

Question 10

EKG printout

Answer 10

-time on horizantal axis (1 sm box=0.04 sec and 1 lg box=0.20 sec)
-amplitude on vertical (1 mV=10 mm or 2 lg boxes)
-isoelectric line (above is positive and below is negative)

Question 11

Waveforms of EKG

Answer 11

-p wave= atrial depolarization (contraction of atria)
-QRS complex= ventricular depolarization
-t wave=ventricular repolarization

Question 12

normal p wave

Answer 12

-no more than 0.11 seconds (about 3 boxes)
-less than 3 mm in height
-not notched or peak

Question 13

normal QRS complex

Answer 13

-0.05 to 0.10 seconds
-positive deflection in leads

Question 14

normal ST segment

Answer 14

super important to stress test
-portion of EKG between QRS and T wave
-should be on on isocentric line
-indicatez oxygenation of heart muscle

Question 15

normal EKG

Answer 15

normal sinus rhythm
-rate 60-100 bpm
-every P wave followed by QRS complex
-ST wave on isoelectric line
-QRS narrow

Question 16

atrial arrhythmia: atrial flutter

Answer 16

-atrial flutter
-sawtooth pwaves
-more p waves the QRS complex
-may of may not be regular

Question 17

atrial arrhytmia: atrial fibrillation

Answer 17

no organized p wave and usually irregular

Question 18

supraventricular tachycardia

Answer 18

-rate higher than 100bpm
-above ventricles (atria or AV node)
-narrow QRS complex and cannot see p waves

Question 19

ventricular tachycardia

Answer 19

->100bpm
-wide QRS complex
-cannot see p waves
-ot may or may not have a pulse

Question 20

v fib

Answer 20

-erratic
-coarse or fine
-no waves or complexes to analyze
-pt will not have a pulse

Question 21

asystole

Answer 21

flatline beep bop boop dead no pulse

Question 22

What is most common?

Answer 22

A fib- can cause blood to pool increases risk of stroke so usually on blood thinners