INTERPRETING EKGs and Recognizing Dysrhythmias Flashcards
EKG
💡5 types
Types of atrial arrhythmias
- Premature Atrial Contraction
- Atrial Tachycardia
- Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia
- Atrial Flutter
- Atrial Fibrillation
diagnosis and treatment
- Due to a # of different causes
- Increased Parasympathetic activity
- Dz of SA node (sick sinus syndrome (SSS))
- May c/o: dizziness due to decreased CO
Sinus pause/arrest causes and treatment
-
Treatment:
– Need to start treatment while pt has symptoms
– Treat underlying cause:- Decrease Digitalis toxicity
- Decrease vagal stimulation
- PPM placement
Premature Atrial Contraction originate from…
irritable, sometimes ischemia areas
In a first degree AV Heart Block:
- Impulse start at SA (and is delayed) or AV node prolonged.
- P wave for every QRS
- QRS is normal BEeetween 0.04 and 0.10
- RR is regular
- HR: 60-100 (but can be bellow 60)

Torsades de Pointes
causes of sinus tachycardia
- Typically benign
- Increased Activity/Exercise (normal response)
- Hypothermia
- Hypotension
- Heart Failure/Insufficient Cardiac Output
- Anxiety
- Increased sympathetic stimulation (fear, pain)
- Stimulants (coffee, nicotine)
Variations of ischemia include:
- Upsloping
- Horizontal
- Downsloping
- Elevation
occur every other beat
Bigeminal / Bigeminy
PACs or other arrythmias that occur in pairs or two in a row

Couplets

atrial flutter
💡3 types
Nodal or Junctional Arrhythmias types
- Premature Junctional Complex/Contraction
- Junctional Rhythm
- Junctional Tachycardia
Q waves after an inferior MI
How does digoxin work?
Digoxin acts by inhibiting cell membrane sodium/potassium ATPase which leads to reversal of the usual sodium/calcium exchange. An increased intracellular calcium level results which, in myocardial muscle, has the effect of enhancing the strength of contraction (positive inotropism). It also affects the electrical physiology of the heart, blocking atrioventricular (AV) conduction and reducing the heart rate by enhancing vagal nerve activity (negative chronotropy).

- Normal Sinus Rhythm
- Rate is between 60-100 bpm
- Equal distance between points on the waves
- One P for every QRS
- All P waves look the same
Premature Atrial Contraction treatment
- None required
- unless advances to Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) or Afib

Junctional Rhythm
- Rate: 40-60 bpm
- QRS appears normal w/QRS duration: 0.04-0.10
- Absent P wave prior to QRS: May get retrograde P’s
diagnosis?
- Heart disease: MI, CHD, ischemia
- Dijoxin Toxicity
- Excesive B blocker
- Symptoms of decreased CO and HR (dizziness, lightheaded, SOB, fatigue, chest pain)
common AV heart block signs, symptoms causes
Premature Junctional Contraction treatment
- None, unless there are symptoms of clinical relevance
- Treat the cause if indicated
treatment of atrial tachycardia
- Treat the cause (ie: pH)
-
Perform autonomic maneuvers:
- Valsalva
-
Meds:
- B Blocker, Digoxin
Sinus pause/ sinus arrest:
-
Named w/ underlying rhythm:
- ex: NSR with sinus pause OR Sinus Bradycardia with pause
- May see ESCAPE Beat or Rhythm
- All P waves are identical
- P for every QRS
- PR interval is b/t 0.12-0.2 sec
- QRS complexes are identical w/QRS duration b/t 0.04-0.10 sec
- R-R interval is regular, but occasional pauses noted
AV node rythym
40-60 bpm

Premature Junctional Contraction:
- Premature impulses that arise from the AV node
- Similar to PAC’s except:
- Absent, inverted or retrograde P wave → P wave follows QRS instead of preceding it
- QRS usually identical w/QRS duration: 0.04-0.10
- BUT the QRS also may be slightly widened in that abnormal beat
- R-R interval regular, except during premature beat
(Paroxysmal) Junctional Tachycardia, Signs/Symptoms/Causes:

- Hyperventilation
- CAD, MI, s/p CT surgery, digoxin toxicity, myocarditis, caffeine, nicotine, overexertion, emotional stuff
In an atrial flutter, P-waves are identical because…

it’s the same foci firing











































