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Cardio Week 1 > Lecture 9: Introduction to Cardiac Electrocardiography (ECG) > Flashcards

Lecture 9: Introduction to Cardiac Electrocardiography (ECG) Flashcards

1
Q

What produces extracellular and body surface electrograms?

A

Propagation of transmembrane action potential

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2
Q

What is an electrogram?

A

A recording of electrical potential difference
Shows the difference between the positive pole and negative pole
If positive lead is +1 mV and negative lead is -1mV then you have 1 – (-1) = +2mV

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3
Q

What is an electrode?

A

A contact with the body

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4
Q

What is a lead?

A

An arrangement of electrodes configured into positive and negative poles
A lead has a vector orientation

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5
Q

What are the factors that alter the amplitude of the vector of electrical activity?

A
  1. The mass of muscle generating the signal
    Example: hypertrophy increases amplitude
  2. Conduction velocity
  3. Degree of cancellation due to propagation in different directions simultaneous
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6
Q

If the orientation of the lead and the vector of electrical activity are parallel, what do you see on the electrogram?

A

The highest amplitude possible

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7
Q

If the orientation of the lead and the vector of electrical activity are perpendicular, what do you see on the electrogram?

A

No activity

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8
Q

How many electrodes make up the standard 12 leads of a standard ECG?

A

10 electrodes

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9
Q

How are leads I, II and III placed?

A

The Three “L” rule
Lead I = 1 L = Right to Left Arm = 0 and 180 degrees
Lead II = 2 L’s = Right Arm to Left Leg = 60 to -120 degrees
Lead III = 3 L’s = Left Arm to Left Leg = 120 to -60 degrees

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10
Q

What are the frontal leads?

A

Leads I, II and III

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11
Q

How are leads aVL, aVR, aVF oriented?

A 
aVL = Left arm (positive pole) = -30 degrees to +150 degrees
aVR = Right arm (positive pole) = -150 degrees to +30 degrees
aVF = Left leg (positive pole) = +90 degrees to -90 degrees
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12
Q

What are the augmented frontal leads?

A

aVR, aVL, aVF

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13
Q

What does aVR stand for?

A

Augmented vector right

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14
Q

What are the precordial leads (chest leads)?

A

V1 – V6

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15
Q

What is the negative pole in the precordial leads?

A

The central terminal of Wilson
Created by connecting each of the three limb electrodes through 5000 Ohm resistors
It behaves as if it is located in the CENTER of the chest

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16
Q

What is the central terminal of Wilson?

A

The negative pole for all the precordial leads

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17
Q

Where are the precordial electrodes placed?

A 
V1 = 4th intercostal space just right of the sternum
V2 = 4th intercostal space just left of the sternum
V3 = halfway between V2 and V4
V4 = 5th intercostal space in mid clavicular line
V5 = Lateral to V4 in the anterior anxillary line
V6 = Lateral to V4 in the mid axillary line
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18
Q

What is the ECG appearance of a normal sinus rhythm?

A

Upward P wave needs to be seen in V1, V2 and aVF

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19
Q

What is the order of the sinus rhythm events?

A
  1. SA node depol
  2. Atrial depol
  3. Atrial repol
  4. AV node depol
  5. Bundle of his depol
  6. Vent depol
  7. Vent. Pleateau
  8. Vent. Repol
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20
Q

What forms the P wave?

A

Atrial depolarization

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21
Q

What forms the QRS complex?

A

Ventricular depolarization

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22
Q

What forms the ST segment?

A

Ventricular plateau

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23
Q

What forms the T wave?

A

Ventricular repolarization

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24
Q

What sinus rhythm events cannot be seen in a normal sinus ECG?

A
  1. SA node impulse
  2. depolarization of the AV node
  3. repolarization of the atria
  4. depolarization in the His bundle and bundle branches
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25
Q

What is a Q wave?

A

Part of the QRS complex
An initial downward deflection BEFORE any R wave
Ventricular depol spreading from left to right, specifically left bundle to the septum!
As seen in the frontal leads

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26
Q

What causes the R wave in V1?

A

When electrical activity goes from left bundle to septum

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27
Q

What is a R wave?

A

Part of the QRS complex
The first UPWARD reflection
Can be present in the absence of Q
Ventricular depol spreading from right to left

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28
Q

What is a S wave?

A

Part of the QRS complex

A downward deflection AFTER an R

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29
Q

What is a R’ (R prime)?

A

A SECOND upright deflection

Follows an S wave

30
Q

Why is the ST segment at zero voltage baseline?

A

Because all ventricular muscle cells are at similar plateau voltage so there is no potential difference

31
Q

What does the vertical scale represent in an ECG?

A

Voltage

32
Q

What does the horizontal scale represent in an ECG?

A

Time

So Voltage vs. Time

33
Q

How do the 12 orientations of the ECG related to one another temporally?

A

They are all being measured at the EXACT SAME TIME

34
Q

How are the precordial leads classified?

A
  1. septal leads (V1,2)
  2. anterior leads (V3,4)
  3. lateral leads (V5,6)
35
Q

How do you systematically interpret ECG?

A
  1. Rate
  2. Rhythm
  3. Intervals (PR, QRS, QT)
  4. QRS axis
  5. Configuration (P wave, QRS, ST segment, T wave)
36
Q

How do you calculate heart rate?

A

300/# of interval boxes between R waves

37
Q

How can you tell a beat is supraventricular or ventricular?

A

Supraventricular beats (e.g. sinus rhythm) have a P wave before QRS complex

38
Q

What constitutes a normal sinus rhythm?

A

Rhythm is regular (R-R interval is consistent)
P waves are UPRIGHT in leads Ieads I, II, III and aVF
PR < 200ms
If HR 60 = sinus tachycardia

39
Q

What is the significance in the PR interval?

A

The delay of the AV node before you get to the ventricular contraction
Also shows that atrial depol is aight

40
Q

What is a normal PR interval?

A

0.12 – 0.20 s
3 to 5 small boxes
Anything longer than 0.2s means AV nodal conduction is longer than normal

41
Q

What is the significance of a PR > 0.2 s?

A

First degree AV block
aka
AV conduction delay

42
Q

What is the significance of the QRS duration?

A

How long it take to spread charge across the ventricle

43
Q

What is normal for QRS duration?

A

Normal < 0.10s
Normal = both left and right bundle branches rapidly reach all parts of both ventricles
Abnormal > 0.12s

44
Q

What is the significance of a QRS > 0.12s?

A

Slow ventricular depol
Not using left and right bundle branches
i. Bundle branch block
ii. Ventricular origin

45
Q

What is the significance of the QT interval?

A

Beginning of ventricular depol to end of ventricular repol

46
Q

What is a normal QT interval?

A

If it is 2 big boxes, you have a heart rate of 60 beat/min

Smaller than 2 big boxes = faster heart rate

47
Q

What is the significance of prolonged QT?

A

Prolonged ventricular APs

48
Q

What is the normal range for QRS axis?

A

-30 to +90 degrees

49
Q

What leads to abnormalities in the QRS axis?

A

Hypertrophy
Loss of muscle mass due to infarction
Ventricular tachycardia

50
Q

Why is the T wave of positive amplitude?

A

Because repolarization starts in the direction of the last action depolarized depolarized in the ventricle (so it goes from last to first).
Two opposites cancel out (because repol is opposite direction from depol generally, but repol is going from last fibers of ventricular depol to first fibers rather than first to last)
Epicardium Aps are shorter than Endocardium so that’s why repol goes from last to first

51
Q

When do you usually see the T wave point the opposite direction of QRS complex?

A

When there is a wide QRS complex

This is because repolarization goes from first to last in this case

52
Q

How is the sequence of ventricular depol reflect in QRS configuration?

A

First thing to get depol in ventricle is interventricular septum (Left bundle branch to septum) will mean Q wave in frontal leads
R wave = activation of Purkinje network towards apex of heart (from endocardium to epicardium)
S wave = charge going from apex to top of ventricle

53
Q

How is ventricular depol reflected in precordial leads?

A

R wave = left bundle branch to interventricular septum from V1 to V5
Then Q wave in V6

54
Q

What does absence of initial septal activation R wave in V1 mean?

A

Septal infarct

55
Q

What does absence of increasing R wave in V1 – V5 suggest?

A

Anterior infarct

56
Q

How do you determine QRS axis?

A

Look at lead I and lead aVF
Then take the line perpendicular to lead I and aVF
If lead I and aVF have positive QRS amplitudes, then the wave is somewhere between 0-90 degrees
OR
Find the isoelectric lead (the one that has amplitudes which most closely cancel out to 0) and the QRS axis will be in the direction of the line PERPENDICULAR to the isoelectric lead

57
Q

What is T wave positive deflection rather than negative deflection, even though it is reflective of repolarization?

A

It is indicative of the DIFFERENCE between Action potentials of endo and epicardium
Loss of difference = downtick of the T wave instead

58
Q

What are the key characteristics of PRIMARY AV block?

A

AV DELAY WITHOUT block PR > 0.2s

59
Q

What are the key characteristics of SECONDARY AV lock?

A

Intermittent AV block

Some Ps followed by QRS but some Ps are NOT followed by QRS

60
Q

What are the key characteristics of tertiary AV block?

A

COMPLETE heart block between atria and ventricles

Every P wave are not paired with QRS complex

61
Q

What are the three best leads to look for bundle branch blocks?

A

Lead 1
V1
V6

62
Q

What is the difference between bundle branch block and AV block?

A

BBB modifies duration and morphology of QRS complex but does not prevent ventricular activation
Because left ventricle is bigger, most QRS reflects LV activation

63
Q

What are the key characteristics of RBBB?

A

R wave is normal in lead 1, V6

But BROAD S wave in leads 1 and V6 while RVR’ in V1

64
Q

What does broad S wave in I and V6 + R’ in V1 indicate?

A

RBBB

65
Q

What is the M shaped pattern in V1 known as?

A

RSR’ = RBBB

66
Q

What are the key characteristics of LBBB in ECG?

A

Leads I and V6 = wide R wave (since it takes longer to depol left ventricle)
Lead V1 = wide S wave

67
Q

What are the standard units used in ECG?

A
  1. Rate (bpm)
  2. PR (msec)
  3. QRS (msec)
  4. QT (msec)
  5. QRS Axis (degrees)
68
Q

Describe the essential ECG features of normal sinus rhythm with normal AV conduction (practice question).

A

Upward p wave in leads I, II and aVF for supraventricular beat
BPM = 60-100
PR interval = 120-200ms
QRS interval <400ms

69
Q

Why does the QT interval vary with heart rate? (Practice Question)

A

Because it is inversely related (faster repol in order to have higher HR)

70
Q

During ventricular tachycardia would you expect the QRS duration to be less than or greater than 0.12sec and why? (Practice Question)

A

Less so that the heart can beat faster

71
Q

Summarize the difference in ECG appearance of complete AV nodal block and LBBB. (Practice Question)

A

In complete AV nodal block, you see that the p wave and QRS complex is completely disjointed because electrical conductance cant get through the annulus fibrosus
In LBBB, the p waves and QRS complex is synchronized, the only difference being that the R waves in leads I and V6 are very wide and the S wave in V1 is wide

72
Q

What electrical event is responsible for the initial small R wave in V1? Practice Question

A

Spread of electrical impulse from LBBB to septum

Cardio Week 1 (11 decks)

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