Bonus: arrythmias Flashcards
Irregularity in rhythm; impulse is initiated by the SA node, but with a phasic quickening and slowing of the impulse formation
Ainus arrhythmia
* R-R interval varies throughout
* Heart rate between 40 and 100 bpm
*
BPM w/ artial flutter
250-300
usually not many symptoms (because its your atria)
Atrial Fibrilation
* Kind of like the next step from an atrial flutter
* No true P wave –> SA node isnt doing its job –> AV node has to take over and do the rhythum of the heart (AV node goes slower) –> so HR will be slower.
Pre mature Atrial complex
* essentially just starting P wave before you should
* often due to a breadycardia
Premature Ventricular Complex (PVC)
QRS complex comes early
Considered life threatening
Ectopic focus originates an impulse from somewhere in one of the ventricles
Absence of P wave in premature beat, with all other beats usually of sinus rhythm
PVC is followed by a compensatory pause
Ventricular tachycardia
3 PVCs or more in a row
P waves are absent
100-250 bpm (heart is way sped up)
Precusor to ventricular fibriliation
Medical emergency
CO / BP decrease
That ventricular tachycardia turns into that torsade de pointes
* type of ventricular tachycardia
Ventricular fibrillation:
* ventricles arent even contracting, they’re just fibrilating
* Erratic quivering of ventricular muscle, resulting in no cardiac output
* Usually the sequel to ventricular tachycardia
* ECG shows grossly irregular up and down fluctuations of the baseline in an irregular zigzag pattern
Defibrillate immediately - this is a shockable pattern - this is essentially just letting the heart get shocked and restarted
Ventricular Asystole
* requires immediate CPR
* No point in defibrilating - not a shockable pattern
* No pulse
*
She going to ask something like:
* If person has ventricular fibrilation what do you do
KNOW: Atrial fibrilation is quite common with certain medications. However, its still an arrythmia so its associated w/ blood clots. We should be asking if they’re on those anti coagluants.
