Cardio - ECG Flashcards
What abnormalities can ECGs help us find?
Conductional abnormalities
Structural abnormalities
Perfusiom abnormalities
Why are the practical advantages to an ECG?
Relatively cheap and easy to undertake
Reproducible between people and centres
Quick turnaround on result / report
What are the electrodes?
The sticky tabs to put on the person in certain positions
What are the cables/wires?
Lead from the electrodes to the actual machine
What are the leads?
Measurement of electrical activity
How many leads are involved in an ECG?
12 in 12-lead ECG
How many cables are involved in a 12-lead ECG?
10
What is a vector?
Quantity that has both magnitude and direction
Typically represented by an arrow in the net direction of movement, whose size reflects the magnitude
What does a downward deflection like this represent?
Wave of excitation is moving towards the negative electrode
What does a upwards deflection like this mean?
Wave of excitation moves towards the positive electrodes
What does a deflection like this denote?
Wave of excitation is moving 45 degrees away from the negative electrode in either direction
What does a deflection like this denote?
Wave of excitation moves towards the positive electrode 45 degrees in each direction
What does a wave like this denote?
Isoelectric line represents no net change in voltage I.e. vectors are perpendicular to the lead
What does a width of a deflection denote?
Duration of the event
What does the steepness of the deflection denote?
Velocity of action potential
What phase does this electrical signal of the cardiac cycle represent?
Atrial systole - stimulates contraction of the atria
What phase does this electrical signal of the cardiac cycle represent?
Ventricles systole - Stimulates contraction of the ventricles
What phase does this electrical signal in the cardiac cycle represent?
Signifies relaxation of the ventricles
What cardiac vector does the P wave represent?
SAN (sinoatrial node)
Autorhythmic my oysters
Atrial depolarisation
What cardiac vector does the P-Q interval represent?
Represents a delay AVN depolarisation Isoelectric ECG Slow signal transduction Protective
What cardiac vector does this part of the cardiac cycle represent?
Bundle of His
Rapid conduction
Insulated
What cardiac vector does this part of the cardiac cycle represent?
Bundle branches
Septal depolarisation
What cardiac vector does this part of the cardiac cycle represent?
Purkinje fibres
Ventricular depolarisation
What cardiac vector does this part of the cardiac cycle represent?
Purkinje fibres (2) Late ventricular depolarisation
What cardiac vector does this part of the cardiac cycle represent?
Fully depolarised ventricles
Isoelectric line
What cardiac vector does this part of the ECG represent?
Ventricular repolarisation
What is the Rule of Ls?
Where do you put the electrodes for Lead I?
Right Arm (-) to Left Arm (+)
Where do you put the electrodes for Lead II?
Right arm (-) to left leg (+)
Where do you put the electrodes for Lead III?
Left arm (-) to Left leg (+)
What is the rule of reading for the leads?
Polarity for the leads is read left to right and top to bottom, just like English.
First electrode of each bipolar pair is the negative electrode
Where does the aVL lead go to and from?
Midpoint of lead II (-) to the left arm (+)
aVL = L = to the left arm
Where does the aVF attach to?
Midpoint of Lead I (-) to left leg (+)
aVF = F = to the floor AKA left leg
Where does the aVR attach to?
Midpoint of Lead III (-) to Right Arm (+)
aVR = R = to the right arm