The cardiac conduction system and arrhythmias

Question 1

__ & __ are life threatening rhythms

Answer 1

ventricular tachycardia (VT) and Ventricular fibrillation (VF)

Question 2

Refer to PP printed slides for pics. Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) is characterised by? And what does the pt need?

Answer 2

Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) is characterized by absence of P waves as the ventricles have taken over – QRS complex is wide and fast

There is initially a pulse, but VT can progress onto no palpable pulse (no cardiac output) → cardiac arrest (needs defibrillation)

Question 3

Refer to PP printed slides for pics. 2. Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) is characterised by? And what does the pt need?

Answer 3

Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) is characterized by rapid disorganised contraction of the ventricles = life threatening rhythm – needs defibrillating immediately!

VF is the most common arrhythmia in patients with cardiac arrest is – can be because of a myocardial infarction (MI)

Question 4

Refer to PP printed slides for pics. 3. Asystole, describe what it looks like on monitor, and what it is

Answer 4

Complete absence of electrical activity - straight line on the monitor

Cessation of the heart’s functioning

Cannot defibrillate this

Question 5

Refer to PP printed slides for pics. 4. Atrial Fibrillation (AF). What is this characterised by?

Answer 5

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) – completely disorganised atrial electrical activity

Impulses arise from the SA node and other sites in the atria

Conduction through the AV node is irregular and usually fast

**There are no P waves and it is irregular

Question 6

Name two rhythms that need defibrillation

Answer 6

Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) and Ventricular Fibrillation (VF)

Question 7

Asystole can be defibrillated. True or false

Answer 7

False. Cessation of heart, does not require defib.

Question 8

For a rhythm to be Atrial Fibrillation (AF), it MUST have what two features?

Answer 8

Irregular rate and no P waves