EKG Flashcards
Types of cardiac cells
- Pacemaker cells
- Electrical conducting cells
- Myocardial cells
Pacemaker cells
SA node
AV node
Electrical conducting cells
*Transmit currents quickly and effectively Anterior, posterior, middle fascicles Bundle of HIS Left Bundle Branch Right Bundle Branch Purkinje Fibers
Characteristics of myocardial cells
Transmits current slow
Contract and pump blood out of heart
Can initiate heart beats if the SA node fails or if the myocardium gets irritated
Cardiac conduction pathway
- Sinoatrial (SA) node
- Internodal fascicles
- Atrioventricular (AV) node
- Bundle of HIS
- Right Bundle Branch
- Left Bundle Branch
- Purkinje Fibers
5 large boxes = ?? time
1 second
300 large boxes = ?? time
1 minute
P wave characteristics
Atrial depolarization
Normal duration <120 ms (3 small boxes)
Upright P wave characteristics
Normal
Beat originated from SA node or atria and traveled antegrade (down the normal pathway)
Inverted P wave characteristics
Beat originated in AV node
Depolarizes atria in retrograde
Junctional beats
Absent P wave characteristics
Originates in the ventricular myocardium
Only the ventricles depolarize
Can occur in afib or junctional rhythm as well
Narrow QRS complex
Absent or inverted P wave
Junctional rhythm
Wide QRS complex
Absent P wave
Ventricular rhythm
Absent P wave
Narrow QRS complex
Irregular rhythm
Afib
Ventricular depolarization
QRS complex
Normal <120 ms
Slow depolarization, likely coming from the ventricular myocardium
Wide QRS
Potential causes of wide QRS complexes
- The myocardium gets irritated (common with pH imbalance, caffeine, stress, ischemia, electrolyte abnormality
- The ventricles must take over as the pacemaker
- Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome (WPW)
- RBBB/LBBB
Ventricular repolarization
T wave
<5 mm height in leads I, II, III
When would you see a U wave?
With hypokalemia
The point at which the S wave returns to baseline
the J point
Upward slurring of the Q wave, commonly seen with WPW syndrome
Delta wave
J wave
“bump” on the S wave. Commonly seen with hypothermia
Normal PR interval start, end and time
Starts at the beginning of the P wave and ends at the start of the Q wave
120-200 ms
Normal QT interval start, end and time
Starts at the Q wave, ends at the end of the T wave
400-440 ms
May cause prolonged QT
Zofran and Phenergan
Characteristics of PR segment
“pause” at the end of atrial depolarization to allow blood to fill the ventricles
starts at the end of the P wave and ends at the beginning of the Q wave
Start and end of ST segment
Starts at the J point, ends at the start of the T wave
a heart beat that happens before it is expected to
premature beat
a heart beat that comes after a long pause
escape beat
What happens during systole?
Heart contraction
Aortic valve opens and the valve leaflets close off the blood supply to the coronary arteries
Blood is ejected from the L ventricle and organs are perfused
What happens during diastole?
The heart relaxes, aortic valve closes, blood rushes into the coronary arteries to perfuse the heart
True/false: The faster the heart rate, the better coronary perfusion
False. The slower the heart rate, the longer the time that the coronary arteries are open, the greater the diastolic filling time and the better coronary perfusion
True/false: Stroke volume is reduced when ventricular filling is reduced
True
Describe active vs passive ventricular filling
Active filling occurs when the atria contract and force blood into the ventricles
Passive filling is when the atria don’t contract and the volume entering the ventricles is much lower
Heart conditions that can reduce ventricular filling
- When a heart beat occurs without atrial contraction (No P wave); afib, escape ventricular rhythm
- When there is a premature heartbeat (PAC, PVC)
- Rapid HR (SVT or Vtach)
Detects the electrical difference/voltage between two limbs
EKG leads
Provides a picture of the heart from a 0-180 degree angle
Lead I
Provides a picture of the heart from a 60 degree angle
Lead II
Provides a picture of the heart from a 120 degree angle
Lead III
Limitation of a 3 lead EKG
Not as sensitive for detecting myocardial ischemia in the L ventricle
Where is lead I located?
R arm (-) to L arm (+) White to black
Where is lead II located?
R arm (-) to L foot (+) White to red
Where is lead III located?
L arm (-) to L foot (+) Black to red
The neutral/ground lead in a 5 lead EKG
Green
Precordial lead in a 5 lead EKG that makes it more sensitive to pick up myocardial ischemia in the L ventricle
Brown (V5)
Heart rate is faster during inspiration and slower during expiration
Irregular sinus rhythm
How does your HR increase during inspiration?
Intrathoracic pressure decreases and preload increases
How does your HR decrease during expiration?
Intrathoracic pressure increases and preload decreases