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
three PVCs in a row
Triplet
First Degree AV Heart Block
- Lengthened PR interval (>0.20 sec), every time
Types of SVT including:
- Atrial Tachycardia
- Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Atrial Flutter
- Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial tachycardia
diagnosis and treatment
3rd Degree AV Heart Block:
- This is a medical emergency
- Meds: Atropine, B blocker
- Pacemaker (usually dual chamber)
Atrial Tachycardia: signs/Symptoms/Causes:
- Same as PAC’s
- Hypoxemia, pulm HTN, altered pH
- COPD pts
- Can result in decreased CO:
- Dizziness, Fatigue, SOB
Junctional rhythm, causes/signs/symptoms
- SA node dz, Increase in vagal tone, digoxin toxicity, MI or ischemia to conduction system
- Decrease CO if rate too slow
- Dizziness, fatigue
Third Degree AV Heart Block
called STEMI, Q wave MI, Full Thickness MI
Transmural MI
In a premature atria contraction, the P wave of early beat may get buried in _________
T wave of prior complex
control atrial fib: treat or not to treat?
treat
treatment of atrial flutter
- Assess signs and symptoms
- Call RN, NP, MD, PA
- Medical Management:
- B blocker, digoxin, verapamil
- Rhythm Conversion (cardioversion)
- Anticoagulation
originate from multiple/different foci
Multifocal
numerous…
Atrial Fibrillation, signs/symptoms/causes:
- Numerous factors:
- Age
- CHF
- ischemia/infarction
- CM
- digoxin toxicity
- drug use
- stress
- pain
- and more…
First Degree AV Heart Block
- Sinus Tachycardia
- Rate – greater than 100 bpm
- Rhythm – regular
- Relationship P Wave to QRS complex – 1:1
- All P Waves look the same
Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia signs/symptoms/sauses:
- Emotional factors
- Overexertion
- Hyperventilation
- Caffeine/Nicotine
- RHD, MVP, PE
- Digitalis toxicity
- Dizziness, weakness, SOB
- Chest pain, fainting/vomiting
- May lead to “panic attack”
Series of rapid heartbeats that begin in or involve the atria
Supraventricular Tachycardia
- tip: if there is no T wave on an abnormal beat is PJC
- For PJC, QRS will be slightly lengthened because it is closer to ventricle compared to PAC
- tip: if there is T, it is either PAC or PVC. but PVC has wide bizarre QRS.
- Top: PAC
- Bottom: PJC
Junctional Rhythm
diagnosis, cause
Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia (PAT or PSVT)
- Sudden onset of atrial tachycardia
- Underlying NSR w/ a burst of atrial tach that eventually returns to NSR
- Abrupt start and stop
- P wave may be present or merged with T wave
- R hard to measure
- QRS are identical w/QRS duration b/t 0.04-.010 sec
- R-R usually regular
- Rapid HR usually >160 bpm
Premature Junctional Contraction signs/symptoms/causes:
- Decreased automaticity and conductivity of SA node
- Irritable AV node or Junctional tissue
- Cardiac dz, MV dz
- Frequent PJCs may be precursor to other abnormal rhythms
In a premature atrial contraction an ectopic atrial focus depolarizes ________, ahead of the__________
- prematurely
- SA node
Similar to Junctional rhythm, but rate is higher (usually greater than 100)
(Paroxysmal) Junctional Tachycardia