In order to interpret an ECG, it is necessary to understand the different parts of a normal sinus rhythm and how they appear. The first thing to look for is something called a P wave; this is a small elevation before the QRS complex. Next, look at the PR interval; this is measured by counting the small squares from the start of the P wave and ends with R wave. The PR interval represents the atrial depolarization phase. The average PR interval should be between 0.12-0.20 seconds or 3-5 small squares. Following the PR interval, it is significant to look at the QRS complex; in other words, ventricular depolarization. There should be a QRS that follows each P wave and it should not be any longer than 0.12 seconds or 2 ½ small squares. Also, the S wave should return to baseline and not be elevated or depressed. Following the QRS complex, a T wave should be present as a small elevation from the baseline. The S wave and T wave together are referred to as the S-T interval and represent ventricular repolarization; normally it should be 0.20 seconds or less. These all add up to one full cycle of the heart’s atria and ventricles depolarizing and repolarizing to produce cardiac output. The next thing to look at is the R-R interval; this is simply just looking at the distance between each QRS complex and seeing if they are evenly space and regular. There should not be much variance in the distance between each R wave. Now that I have described what a normal sinus rhythm looks like, I will now give the different descriptions of the various abnormal ECG patterns that exist. All abnormal rhythms indicate different issues or problems concerning the heart; therefore, I will also discuss what the various treatments are for each abnormal rhythm. With... ... middle of paper ... ...resent every other beat, whereas, trigeminy is when every third beat is a PVC. Some possible causes are electrolyte imbalaces, hypoxia, stress, and caffeine. Lidocaine can be used as a temporary solution, although, if they are severe enough, an ablation may be considered. An ablation is a minimally invasive procedure in which radiofrequency waves are used to destroy the tissue where the early beat originates. Works Cited • Bradycardia (Slow Heart Rate). WebMD. 13 Mar 2014 http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/bradycardia-slow-heart-rate-overview • Sinus Arrhythmia. Pediatric Heart Specialist, Diagnosis & Treatment of Disorders. 13 Mar 2014 http://pediatricheartspecialists.com/articles/detail/sinus_arrhythmia • Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. MedlinePlus, Trusted Health Information for You. 13 Mar 2014 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000151.htm
There are several different heart problems that show up as an abnormal EKG reading. For example, a heart block can occur when there is a delay in the signals coming from the SA node, AV node, or the Purkinje fibers. However, clinically the term heart block is used to refer to an AV block. This delays or completely stops communication between the atria and the ventricles. AV block is shown on the EKG as a delayed or prolonged PR interval. The P wave represents the activity in the atria, and the QRS complex represents ventricular activity. This is why the PR interval shows the signal delay from the AV node. There are three degrees of severity, and if the delay is greater than .2 seconds it is classified as first degree. Second degree is classified by several regularly spaced P waves before each QRS complex. Third degree can be shown by P waves that have no spacing relationship to the QRS complex. Another type of blockage is bundle branch block. This is caused by a blockage in the bundle of His, creating a delay in the electrical signals traveling down the bundle branches to reach the ventricles. This results in a slowed heart beat, or brachycardia. On an EKG reading this is shown as a prolonged QRS complex. A normal QRS is about .8-.12 seconds, and anything longer is considered bundle branch block. Another type of abnormal EKG reading is atrial fibrillation, when the atria contracts very quickly. On the EKG this is shown by no clear P waves, only many small fibrillating waves, and no PR interval to measure. This results in a rapid and irregular heartbeat. On the other hand, ventricular fibrillation is much more serious and can cause sudden death if not treated by electrical defibrillation.
622 Y. When the AV node receives the signal, it fires and causes the ventricles to depolarize, this is known as the QRS Complex. The atria also repolarizes during this phase. Specifically in the QRS Complex, during the Q wave, the interventricular septum depolarizes, during the R wave, the main mass of the ventricles depolarizes, and during the S wave, the base of the heart, apex, depolarizes. After the QRS Complex, the S-T segment can be identified as a plateau in myocardial action potentials and is when the ventricles actually contract and pump out blood to the pulmonary and systemic circuits. The final phase of the heartbeat is the T wave and this is when the ventricles repolarize before the relax, ventricular diastole, EKG Video Notes and pg. 671 D. These phases represent the cardiac cycle, which is the time and events that occur from the beginning of one heartbeat to the beginning of the next heartbeat. In this lab, the first EKG that I took was my regular heartbeat during rest. In this recording, I was able to see the P wave, followed by the QRS Complex and the T wave as well. Everything looks pretty normal, but the T wave does go a little lower than normal and I believe this is due to the fact that I was diagnosed with sinus bradycardia
Tics are defined as brief, repetitive, nonrhythmic, or involuntary movements or sounds. They can be caused by a variety of things. Time pressure, stress, allergies, caffeine, and fatigue can all play a role in the severity of tics. Also illnesses, starting to relax, arousal, and talking about tics can affect the patient's tics.
Cardiomyopathy, by definition, means the weakening of the heart muscle. The heart is operated by a striated muscle that relies on the autonomic nervous system to function. Cardiomyopathy is diagnosed in four different ways based on what caused the illness and exactly what part of the heart is weakened. The four main types of cardiomyopathy are dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. One other category of cardiomyopathy that is diagnosed is “unclassified cardiomyopathy.” Unclassified cardiomyopathy is the weakening of the heart that does not fit into the main four categories.
Two heart sounds are normally heard through a stethoscope on the chest wall, "lab" "dap". The first sound can be described as soft, but resonant, and longer then the second one. This sound is associated with the closure of AV valves (atrioventricular valves) at the beginning of systole. The second sound is louder and sharp. It is associated with closure of the pulmonary and aortic valves (semilunar valves) at the beginning of diastole. There is a pause between the each set of sounds. It is a period of total heat relaxation called quiescent period.
Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects the variations in the intervals between heart beats (R waves) over time. The time between two consecutive R waves is termed the R-R interval; it is measured in milliseconds, and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system 1. HRV is a non-invasive method for interpreting autonomic nervous system modulation and provides information relating to each branch of the autonomic nervous system 2. Analysis of the beat to beat variability provides an insight into the relative contributions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system’s control of the heart 34. In healthy individuals it is now widely agreed that under normal resting conditions, a high HRV is an indicator that the parasympathetic pathway is dominant over the sympathetic pathway. Consequentially, a large number of various disease states for example, cardiovascular disease have been linked to a low HRV reflecting increased sympathetic activity at rest 5. Studies have reported that regular practice of physical activity improves ...
Power can be defined as the ability to influence or outright control the behavior of people. A variety of different things can drive power, including both knowledge and experience. Power in most cases is needed to establish authority. In today’s country, the United States government has a lot of power. It has so much power that even American citizens are beginning to complain about it. Having all this power and authority has allowed the government to make decisions quicker. However, by making decisions faster, some mistakes can be made and innocent people can be convicted. This point is directly exemplified when using two New Yorker articles, “Surviving Solitary” and ‘A Shot to The Heart.” Both articles consist of results produced quite
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac arrhythmia. It is the most common arrhythmia and it has implications for patients and anaesthetists alike. The anaesthetist must take into consideration the physiological and pharmacological implications of this common arrhythmia.
The study of cardio physiology was broken up into five distinct parts all centering on the cardiovascular system. The first lab was utilization of the electrocardiogram (ECG). This studied the electrical activities of the heart by placing electrodes on different parts of the skin. This results in a graph on calibrated paper of these activities. These graphs are useful in the diagnosis of heart disease and heart abnormalities. Alongside natural heart abnormalities are those induced by chemical substances. The electrocardiogram is useful in showing how these chemicals adjust the electrical impulses that it induces.
October 9th, 2016, after being discharged just three days prior, a 44-year-old African American female presented in the emergency department with complaints of shortness of breath with minimal activity and chest pain that radiates to the back and shoulders. Vitals signs were taken and reveled a heart rate of 134, blood pressure of 219/147 and a respiratory rate 28. Observation of the patient showed that she was slightly diaphoretic and anxious. Lab work was ordered to be drawn as well as an ECG and the admission process began. Admitting diagnosis recorded was tachycardia, elevated troponin, acute exacerbation of congestive heart failure, acute chronic congestive heart failure, chest pain and pleuritic chest pain.
The diagnostic value of auscultating is to hear any abnormal sounds in the heart. Information from that can be the discovery of abnormal heart beats, tachy cardia and heart murmurs.
State: The cardiac cycle is composed of five stages which each trigger the relaxation or contraction of the atria or ventricles and direction of blood flow.
AIM: - the aim of this experiment is to find out what the effects of exercise are on the heart rate. And to record these results in various formats. VARIABLES: - * Type of exercise * Duration of exercise * Intensity of exercise * Stage of respiration
When a person has Atrial Fibrillation, the sinoatrial node releases multiple quick impulses at a rate of 350 -600 times per minute. When this happens, the ventricles respond by beating around 120- 200 beats per minute, making it tough to identify an accurate heart rate. This arrhythmia can be the result of various things. During a normal heart beat, the electrical impulse begins at the sinoatrial node and travels down the conduction pathway until the ventricles contract. Once that happens, the SA node fires again and the process keeps on cycling (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013).
... times per minute and this is called tachycardia. The normal heart rate is between 61 and 100 beats per minute. Tachycardia can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and unusual sweating. More severe symptoms are when you feel more frequent extra heartbeats that number six or more and your pulse is more than 100 bpm without anxiety or exercise.