ECG Arrythmias Flashcards
What is S1? When is it loudest?
Closure of the AV valves ie tricuspid and mitral loudest at mitral area
What is S2? When is it loudest?
Closure of the semilunar valves ie aortic and pulmonary Loudest at left upper sternal border
In terms of heart sounds, when is systole?
After S1, before S2 begins
When and where is S3 best heard?
•In early diastole during rapid ventricular filling phase •best heard at apex with patient in left lateral decubitus position.
What pathologies is S3 associated with? give 4
associated with increased filling pressure eg.
- Mitral regurgitation
- Aortic regurgitation
- Heart failure
- Thyrotoxicosis
What is S3 more common in anatomically?
Which groups is it normal in?
- more common in dilated ventricles
- Normal in age<30 yrs ie children, young adults, athletes and adults
When is S4 heard and where is it heard best?
- In late diastole ie atrial kick
- best heard at apex position with patinet in left lateral decubitus position
- high atrial pressure
*
What is S4 associated with?
- associated with ventricular non-compliance eg hypertrophy
- left atrium must push against stiff LV wall from LVH
- therefore high atrial pressure
- considered abnormal if palpable
What is a murmur?
Sound produced by turbulent flow of blood through heart, especially over abnormal valves
What is a thrill?
A palpable murmur
Which murmurs are louder on inspiration?
Right sided murmurs eg tricuspid regurgitation
Name the two subdivisions of slow heart rhythms ie bradyarrhythmias
- Sinus Node Disease; treat if symptoms
- HEART BLOCK; DANGEROUS; ALWAYS TREAT W OR W/O SYMPTOMS TO AID PROGNOSIS
What are fast heart rhythms ie tachyarrythmias divided into?
Supraventricular Tachycardias; not bad unless v fast
Ventricular Tachycardia; DANGEROUS
What are stops or pauses in sinus node disease?
- flatline pauses
- patient can block out
- may also have seizure activity with pauses; lose control of bowels/bladder
- but heart will restart
What is the most common ECG presenting feature of a PE?
sinus tachycardia
What is this finding?
- Normal beats; flatline asystole
- sinus pause because can see p waves
- sinus arrest/block; sinus node is generating electricity but not getting it out
- Failure of sinus node to fire or sinus exit block
- may get dizzy; faint/asymptomatic
Give 3 treatment pathways for sinus node disease
- Conservative if asymtomatic
- Correct reversible causes eg electrolytes, drugs(beta blockers), thyroid function
- Pacemaker if remains symptomatic despite above steps
How does first degree heart block appear on an ECG?
Signal generated in SAN nad takes time to get into the AVN
- Prolonged PR interval >200 msec
- Benign and symptomatic; no treatment required
How many types of secondary AV block are there?
- Mobitz Type I; Wenckebach
- Mobitz Type II
What is Mobitz Type I?
- Wenkebach
- progressive lengthening of PR interval until a beat is dropped ie a p wave is not followed by a QRS complex
- usually asymptomatic
- Variable RR interval with a pattern ; regularly irregular
What is Mobitz Type II?
- Dropped beats that are not preceeded by a change in the length of the PR interval as in type I
- May progress to 3rd degree heart block; often treated with pacemaker
What is third degree heart block?
- Complete heart block
- atria and ventricles beat independently of each other
- P waves and QRS complexes are not rhythmically associated
- Atrial rate> ventricular rate
- may be caused by Lyme disease
Describe the findings of this ECG and state the pathology
Prolonged PR interval (over 200 ms/5 small squares)
First degree heart block
Describe the findings of this ECG and state the pathology
4:1 Second degree heart block
Mobitz type II
after every 4 P waves there is a dropped QRS complex
PR interval in the conducted beats remains constant
Describe this ECG and state the pathology
Prolonged PR interval
First degree heart block
P wave is buried within the T wave
Describe the abnormalities in this ECG
PR is getting longer and longer after each beat and culminates in a dropped QRS interval
ie PR interval is longest immediately before the dropped beat
PR interval is shortest immediately after the dropped beat
MOBITZ TYPE I ie WENKEBACH second degree heart block