N275: Unit 1.4 (Dysrhythmias) Questions With Complete
Solutions
Overview
*dysrhythmias are common features of cardiac diseases, or are
effects of drug treatment, electrolyte imbalance,
invasive/surgical interventions, stress, etc.
*the heart's conduction system itself can be diseased
*important to assess the patient as well as the rhythm before
taking action
Cardiac Electrophysiology Review
*specialized cardiac cells initiate and propagate the heart's
electrical impulses
*the conduction system initiates a normal impulse in the SA
node with systematic movement through the internodal
pathways terminating in the Purkinje fibers (see image).
*electrical imulse ->atrial, then ventricular depolarization ->
systole -> stroke vol -> CO
,Normal ECG and intervals
(see image)
, ECG and Cardiac Telemetry
*ECG paper depicts a graphic electrical tracing of the heart's
electrical impulses
*telemetry offers continuous observation of HR and rhythm to
rapidly diagnose dysrhythmias, ischemia, and infarction
*DOES NOT offer information about the heart's mechanical
function (as in the case of PEA - Lewis pg 801)
^PEA: pulseless electrical activity, aka electromechanical
dissociation, in cases of cardiac arrest in which an observed
Solutions
Overview
*dysrhythmias are common features of cardiac diseases, or are
effects of drug treatment, electrolyte imbalance,
invasive/surgical interventions, stress, etc.
*the heart's conduction system itself can be diseased
*important to assess the patient as well as the rhythm before
taking action
Cardiac Electrophysiology Review
*specialized cardiac cells initiate and propagate the heart's
electrical impulses
*the conduction system initiates a normal impulse in the SA
node with systematic movement through the internodal
pathways terminating in the Purkinje fibers (see image).
*electrical imulse ->atrial, then ventricular depolarization ->
systole -> stroke vol -> CO
,Normal ECG and intervals
(see image)
, ECG and Cardiac Telemetry
*ECG paper depicts a graphic electrical tracing of the heart's
electrical impulses
*telemetry offers continuous observation of HR and rhythm to
rapidly diagnose dysrhythmias, ischemia, and infarction
*DOES NOT offer information about the heart's mechanical
function (as in the case of PEA - Lewis pg 801)
^PEA: pulseless electrical activity, aka electromechanical
dissociation, in cases of cardiac arrest in which an observed
