ECG Interpretation

Question 1

Answer 1

Atrial Tacchycardia

>150bpm natural in young and very old or ischaemic heart disease.

Question 2

Answer 2

Sinus Tacchycardia

Increased discharge from SA node.

Fever, Inc in symapthetic tone, hypovolemia, exercise, anaemia, hypoxia, pump failure

• cause dec CO and can cause infarct and injury

Question 3

Answer 3

Atrial Fibrillation (Arryhtmia)

irregularly irregular rhythm with no discernable P waves.

Firing of random cells in atria which become pacemaker cells of the heart.

(Atria quiver and do not properly contract causing CO reduction of around 20%. Clots may form in atria)

Question 4

Answer 4

Atrial Flutter

Tacchycardia, regular rhythm, P wave has sawtooth ‘F waves’ (many P waves vs. no p wave in a fib)

Congestive heart failure.

Question 5

Answer 5

Junctional Rhythm (Nodal)

Normal QRS but absent P waves

Question 6

Answer 6

Supraventricular tacchycardia

Rhythm so fast cant tell if P wave. Rhythm is supraventricular because QRS is tight and narrow, so signal through Purkinje cells from top heart (AV node and Bundle of His) so originated above ventricles.

Question 7

Answer 7

Ventricular tacchycardia

causes include ischaemia, inc sympathetic tone, hypoxia, electrolyte imbalance

dec CO output to life threatening levels and can deteriorate in vent fibrilltation.

shockable rhythm!

Question 8

Answer 8

ventricular fibrillation

vent quivers instead of pumping blood causing cardiac arrest (stop of blood flow from the heart)

Question 9

Answer 9

Left atrial hypertrophy (P-mitrale)

(bifid p waves)

Question 10

Answer 10

Right atrial hypertrophy (P-pulmonale)

peaked P waves (large)