Electrocardiogram Technician: Module 5 Flashcards
What is an important tool used to diagnose and treat various cardiac and cardiac related complications?
ECG
Being able to evaluate ECG waveforms is an essential and important
skill for healthcare professionals
Process of ECG evaluation involves a systematic approach that
varies among individuals who are evaluating
To determine atrial rates
pick a point at the p wave for atrial depolarization
To determine ventricular rates
pick a spot on the QRS complex for ventricular depolarization
To get the heart rate, you would find the same spot on the next waveform or either atrial or ventricular and
count the number of small boxes and use the 1500 method to determine the rhythm
What should you do after counting for heart rate
determine if the p wave is the same configuration for all waveforms either upwards, inverted, peaked, or different for each one.
After determine p wave configuration for all waveforms
determine if the p wave intervals are normal 0.12 - 0.20 second and make sure they are consistent in length
What are the four types of sinus rhythms?
Normal Sinus Rhythm
Sinus Tachycardia
Sinus Bradycardia
Sinus Arrhythmia
What is normal sinus rhythm?
The desired rhythm intervals between two P and R waves that occur in a consistent patter
Rate for normal sinus rhythm is between 60-100 beats per minute.
P wave is upright and in uniform shape. One p wave before every QRS Complex
PR interval will be constant at 0.12 to 0.20
The QRS duration will be constant between 0.06 and 0.10
What is sinus tachycardia?
Cardiac rhythm where the heart is beating faster than normal
Heart beat is more than 100 beats per minute
What is sinus bradycardia?
Originates in the SA node and has a rate that is less than 60 beats per minute
The waveforms are the same criteria as normal sinus rhythm just more spaced out. Distance equals time.
What is sinus dysrhythmia?
It is an irregular rhythm and is caused by pressure on the heart from the respiratory cycle. The beat is 60 per minute but regularity will not be constant
It can change from tachycardia to bradycardia in seconds
What is sinus arrest?
when the SA node stops firing and creates a stop or pause in electrical activity of the heart. Pause for 3 seconds or more.
No contraction of either the atria or ventricles
For a sinus arrest, rhythm between the two p and r waves will be
irregular
For a sinus arrest, rate of atrial and ventricular depolarization will be
the same but will vary on the electrical activity produced by the SA node.
To determine frequency of pause for sinus arrest
measure the length of the pause by measuring the R-R interval around the pause and multiply the number of small boxes by 0.04.
Note the frequency of the pause
What are atrial dysrhythmias?
Irregular heart rates caused by ectopic beats in the left or right atriums
ectopic beats are electrical impulse that is being generated from an area that does not usually have
automaticity
What are the types of atrial dysthymias?
Premature atrial contractions (PAC)
Atrial Tachycardia
Atrial Flutter (Aflutter)
Atrial Fibrillation (Afib)
What is Premature atrial contractions (PAC)?
Extra heartbeats in the upper chambers of the heart
Rhythms are constant except for occasional early complex or complexes
Rate will be 60-100 beats per minute but can be faster depending on frequency
For premature atrial contractions (PAC), the p wave is usually
uniform in shape except for early beat. Early beat may be flattened, notched, or biphasic
PR interval will be between 0.12 to 0.20 seconds. Early beat has a different PR measure but within normal limits.
For premature atrial contractions (PAC), the QRS duration will be
normal at 0.6 to 0.10 seconds
Depending on severity of Pac, patient may experience symptoms such as
low cardiac output, if complications start to occur, please notify a clinician.
What is a wandering atrial pacemaker?
when the electrical impulse for the atria is generated at different sites such as one impulse from SA node and the other from AV node.
wandering atrial pacemaker will have
an irregular rhythm
a heart rate of 60-100
a constantly changing p wave
What is atrial flutter?
rapid impulse in atrial tissue that may lead to more serious health complications.
If atrial flutter is not treated within the atrial waveform
you may see flutter to flutter waves and will stay regular.
R-R interval may be regular depending on the severity.
Atrial flutter waves resemble a
saw-tooth and are best seen using leads 2, 3, and F
For atrial flutter, the PR interval will be
unidentifiable and the QRS complex will be normal at 0.06 to 0.10 seconds.