Term
| Reason for the roundness of the P wave |
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Definition
| Electrical conduction from the SA to AV node is convoluted slow, which is why the P wave is not as sharply defined as the QRS complex. |
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Term
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Definition
1. Disruptions in automaticity
2. Disturbances in conductivity
3. Disturbances in both |
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Term
| General guidelines to check for arrhythmia |
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Definition
1. Check to see if the heart rate is constant.
2. Check if the pacemaker is supraventricular: positive P and T waves with sharp QRS complex (most important).
3. Check for any premature beats. |
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Term
| Determining heart rate on EKG |
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Definition
Each division on EKG=.02 sec.
Tachycardia: beats separated by less than 3 divisions.
Bradycardia: beats separated by more than 5 divisions. |
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Term
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Definition
| Irregular heart rate. Means that pacemaker is not depolarizing regularly. |
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Term
| Sinus arrest with escape beat |
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Definition
| Long period of no electrical activity=sinus arrest. Another pacemaker then replaces SA node (could be AV node) to restore heart beat. |
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Term
| Wandering atrial pacemaker |
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Definition
| Impulses are generated from varying locations in the atria. This results in varying shapes of P waves. Still supraventricular impulse since the QRS complex is sharply defined. |
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Term
| Premature atrial contraction |
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Definition
| Have a P wave triggering QRS complex extremely close to adjacent T wave. This premature P wave also often has different shapes than other sinus P waves, can be negative (in AV node). |
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Term
| Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia |
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Definition
| Has negative P wave, means that pacemaker not traveling in normal direction (originate from AV node). Sharp QRS complex means that pacemaker is supraventricular. Tachycardia evident upon EKG. |
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Term
| Cause of P wave absence on EKG |
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Definition
| Pacemaker is located at AV node |
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Term
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Definition
| Impulses travel in circular course in atria, causing rapid atrial depolarization. This results in multiple P waves before each QRS complex. |
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Term
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Definition
| Impulses take random chaotic path in atria. Results in multiple irregularly shaped P waves with sharply defined QRS complexes (show that pacemaker is supraventricular). |
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Term
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Definition
| AV node is pacemaker, impulses both retrograde to atria and antegrade to ventricles. Have a negative P wave that occurs after QRS. Negative because it travels from AV to SA, after QRS because impulses transmit slower in atria than ventricles. |
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Term
| Premature ventricular contraction |
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Definition
| Early ventricular contraction. Pacemaker is in ventricular, results in a broad QRS complex with no P wave and negative T wave. |
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Term
| Types of premature ventricular contraction |
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Definition
1. Unifocal PVC
2. Two Foci PVC
3. Bigemina
4. Trigemina |
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Term
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Definition
| Type of premature ventricular contraction where the impulses in the ventricle starts at the same locus every time, results in identical premature peaks in EKG. |
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Term
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Definition
| Type of premature ventricular contraction where the ventricular impulses originate from two different locations in the ventricle. |
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Term
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Definition
| Type of Premature ventricular contraction where a normal beat is followed by a premature ventricular contraction. |
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Term
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Definition
| Type of premature ventricular contraction where a normal beat is followed by two premature ventricular beats. |
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Term
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Definition
| Slowed conduction in ischemia causes reentry phenomenon back into the bundle of His. Circular path of impulse n the ventricles. Has wide and constant QRS complexes on EKG. |
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Term
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Definition
| Type of ventricular tachycardia where the QRS complexes alternate between positive and negative peaks. Not as life threatening as standard ventricular tachycardia. |
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Term
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Definition
| Chaotic path of impulses in ventricles causes constant and irregularly shaped QRS complexes. Defibrillation needed or else death occurs. |
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Term
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Definition
| Pacemaker installed inside ventricle. Pacemaker triggers sharp electrical impulse that triggers a negative QRS complex(since impulses travel from the bottom of the ventricles to the top instead of the other way around). |
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Term
| Types of ventricular pacer rhythm |
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Definition
1. Atrial
2. Ventricular
3. Demand Ventricular (Patient has arrhythmia, pacemaker kicks in when necessary to maintain normal rhythm). |
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