Cardio section 1 PP Pt 2 Flashcards
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What should your main focus be?
Treat your patient, not the monitor
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What are the first five steps of reading the electrocardiogram?
- Rate
- Rhythm (including the presence of ectopic beats)
- Presence and shape of the P wave, and its relationship to the QRS
- PR interval
- QRS complex
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What are the next five steps in reading the electrocardiogram?
- Fast or Slow
- Wide or Narrow
- Regular or Irregular
- Sick or Not Sick
- Does it have “P” waves
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What are two things to consider while assessing the rate?
- Most modern ECG monitors will give you a fairly accurate reading regarding the heart rate
- However, not every beat that shows up on the ECG is actually perfusing
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What should you do to assure the rate from the EKG is accurate?
You must learn to check your patient’s pulse rate and then compare that to the ECG rate from the tracing
Reading the Electrocardiogram: How do you calculate the rate while looking at the EKG?
Multiply the number of QRS complexes or P waves by 10
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What are you assessing, dealing with the rhythm?
How regular or irregular the cardiac cycles are occurring
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What are your choices for rhythm assessment?
- Regular
- Essentially regular
- Regularly irregular
- Irregularly irregular
- Look for consistent patterns while assessing*
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What is a dangerous assumption regarding the P wave?
Do not assume every small bump you see on the ECG is a P wave
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What is the ratio between the Ps and QRSs?
There should be a one-to-one relationship between the Ps and QRSs
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What is the range for a normal PR interval?
Normally between 0.12 and 0.20 seconds
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What is revealed if the PR interval is more than .20 seconds?
If this interval is prolonged beyond 0.20 seconds, a block within the AV node or junction exists
Reading the Electrocardiogram: What are the four things you should be looking at while assessing the QRS?
- The duration (width) of the complex
- Amplitude (height) of the complex
- The presence of Q waves and their length and size
- The general configuration of the complex, noting any notching or slurring of the waves and how the QRS flows into the T wave
Dr. Henry Marriott’s Principles: What are the 8 principles?
- Use a lead containing maximum information
- Learn all you can about what causes each dysrhythmia
- Milk the QRS
- Cherchez le P (look for the P)
- Mind your Ps
- Dig the break
- Who’s married to whom?
- Pinpoint the primary rhythm
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: What are the diagnostic criteria for normal sinus rhythm (NSR)?
Rate: 60-100 Rhythm: regular w/o any ectopy P waves: Present and precedes each QRS relationship PRI: .12-.20 seconds QRS: < .12 seconds, uniform in shape
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: Where does NSR arise? Where does it travel after that?
Normal sinus rhythm arises from the SA node
-Each impulse travels down through the conduction system in a normal manner
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: What are the diagnostic criteria for Sinus Arrhythmia?
Rate: 60-100
Rhythm: regularly irregular with respiration and without any ectopy
P waves: present and precedes each QRS with a 1:1 relationship
PRI: .12-.20 seconds
QRS: < .12 seconds, uniform in shape
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: What is the outlier for Sinus Arrhythmia?
Rhythm is regularly irregular with respirations
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: What are the diagnostic criteria for Sinus Tachycardia?
Rate: 100-160 Rhythm: regular w/o any ectopy P waves: Present and precedes each QRS 1:1 relationship PRI: .12-.20 seconds QRS: < .12 seconds, uniform in shape
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: What is the outlier for Sinus Tachycardia?
Rate is faster than 100 beats per minute
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: What are the diagnostic criteria for Sinus Bradycardia?
Rate: <60
Rhythm: regular to essentially regular w/o any ectopy
P waves: Present and precedes each QRS 1:1 relationship
PRI: .12-.20 seconds
QRS: < .12 seconds, uniform in shape
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: What is the outlier for Sinus Bradycardia?
Rate is less than 60 beats per minute
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: What are the diagnostic criteria for Sinus Arrest?
Rate: depends upon the frequency of the arrest
Rhythm: regular to essentially regular with obviously dropped beats; ectopic beats may be present if the AV node or purkinji fibers tried to pace the heart during the sinus arrest beat
P waves: Present and precedes each QRS relationship
PRI: .12-.20 seconds
QRS: < .12 seconds, uniform in shape
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: What is the outlier for Sinus Arrest?
Rate: depends upon the frequency of the arrest
Rhythm: regular to essentially regular with obviously dropped beats; ectopic beats may be present if the AV node or purkinji fibers tried to pace the heart during the sinus arrest beat
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: When does sinus arrest occur?
Sinus arrest occurs when the SA node fails to initiate an impulse
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: What are the diagnostic criteria for wandering atrial pacemaker (WAP)?
Rate: 60-100, but frequently < 60
Rhythm: regular to essentially regular, usually no additional ectopic beats other than the wondering pacer site
P waves: Vary in morphology but a 1:1 relationship generally exists
PRI: varied
QRS: < .12 seconds, uniform in shape
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: What is the outlier for WAP?
Rate: 60-100, but frequently < 60
Rhythm: regular to essentially regular, usually no additional ectopic beats other than the wondering pacer site
P waves: Vary in morphology but a 1:1 relationship generally exists
PRI: varied
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: How does WAP arise?
Wandering atrial pacemaker arises from different sites in the atria
Rhythms Originating Within the Sinus Node: How does sinus bradycardia arise? How does the conduction follow?
Sinus bradycardia arises from the SA node. Each impulse travels down through the conduction system in a normal manner
Dysrhythmias Originating Within the Atria: What are the diagnostic criteria for Premature atrial complexes (PAC)?
Rate: Matches that of the underlying rhythm
Rhythm: Slightly irregular due to extra complex
P waves: Present and precedes each QRS in a 1:1 relationship, slightly different morphology
PRI: .12-.20 seconds (less on premature complex)
QRS: < .12 seconds, uniform in shape
Dysrhythmias Originating Within the Atria: What is the outlier for PAC?
Rate: Matches that of the underlying rhythm
Rhythm: Slightly irregular due to extra complex
P waves: Present and precedes each QRS in a 1:1 relationship, slightly different morphology. (may be upright or inverted, will appear different from those of the underlying rhythm)
PRI: .12-.20 seconds (less on premature complex). (can be normal, shortened or prolonged)
Dysrhythmias Originating Within the Atria: Where does PAC arise from?
Arises from somewhere in the atrium
Dysrhythmias Originating Within the Atria: What is a street secret you should know about?
When the heart is beating too fast, there is not enough time to allow for adequate ventricular filling, which eventually leads to a significant drop in cardiac output and a drop in blood pressure. Symptomatic tachycardias need aggressive intervention with either drugs or electrical therapy.
Dysrhythmias Originating Within the Atria: What are the diagnostic criteria for Atrial Tachycardia?
Rate: 160-240 Rhythm: regular unless MAT P waves: Present and precedes each QRS, 1:1 relationship PRI: .12-.20 seconds, may be prolonged QRS:
Dysrhythmias Originating Within the Atria: What is the outlier for Atrial Tachycardia?
- Rate: 160-240
- Rhythm: regular unless MAT
- PRI: .12-.20 seconds, may be prolonged
Dysrhythmias Originating Within the Atria: Where does Atrial Tachycardia arise from?
Atrial Tachycardia arises from a single focus in the atria
*reentry circuit
Dysrhythmias Originating Within the Atria: What are the diagnostic criteria for Atrial Flutter?
Rate: atrial 250-350. ventricular varies dependant upon AV conduction
Rhythm: Regular, may be irregular
P waves: replaced by F waves
PRI: replaced by FR intervals, and the PRI is not reliable or determinable
QRS: