Lab 1 - ECG Flashcards
What is an ECG?
Electrocardiogram - measures the electrical activity of the heart
What event in the cardiac cycle does the T wave represent?
Ventricular repolarisation
What event in the cardiac cycle does the P wave represent?
Depolarisation of the atria
What event in the cardiac cycle does the QRS complex represent?
Depolarisation of the ventricles
Q wave: The initial negative deflection following the P wave.
R wave: The subsequent large positive deflection.
S wave: The negative deflection following the R wave.
Why is ventricular repolarisation a positive deflection?
Because repolarisation is when it gets more negative and when going towards the negative lead (negative + negative = positive).
Explain why the amplitude and polarity of the P, QRS and T waves vary in recordings of 6 different limb leads?
Polarity is to do with the nature in change in membrane potentials but also to do with the orientation and direction - therefore when we change the leads and this the orientation/direction the recordings will vary.
Amplitude also depends on orientation - how parallel it is to the electrode - the more parallel the larger the amplitude.
If the amplitude is towards positive lead is it depolarisation or repolarisation?
Depolarisation - it is depolarisation when they match e.g., when towards positive lead or away from the negative lead.
It is repolarisation when they don’t match e.g., away from positive and towards negative.
What deflection its shown when depolarisation is towards a positive electrode?
Positive deflection
What deflection is shown when repolarisation is away from a positive electrode?
Positive deflection
If there is poor alignment of lead and electrical activity will the amplitude be large or small?
Small
Why does the recording of the aVR lead appear to be an inversion of the recording of standard limb lead 2?
Because the electrodes are reversed for lead 2 and aVR which means they look at the heart from the opposite direction thus the ECG is inverted
What prevents depolarisation of skeletal muscle every time the heart beats?
Isolation of the hearts electrical activity from the body by pericardium and cartilage around the valve. This prevents depolarisation of skeletal muscle very time the heart beats.
What is Mean Electrical Axis?
MEA is the average direction of all the electrical activity occurring during depolarisation of the ventricles.
What ECG lead will have the largest R wave?
The one that is more aligned with the direction of ventricular depolarisation - which is typically lead 2 (right arm and left leg)
What is the normal range of MEA?
-30 to +120 degrees