ATRIAL

FLUTTER
Samantha McGarity
What is
ECG?
■ ECG stands for
“electrocardiogram.”
■ It checks for electrical heart
rate and rhythm by placing
sensors on the body to tell
the monitor when the heart
is beating.
How can ECG be
used to identify
arrythmias?
■ ECG checks for a steady
electrical impulse, so when
there is a beat that is out of
place or off-rhythm, it can
tell.
■ Sometimes a part of the ECG
will spike too high, and
sometimes an impulse will be
missing altogether, depending
on the arrythmia.
“Norms” of ECG

■ When testing with an ECG, a normal heart

rate would be somewhere in between 60 and
100 bpm.
■ A normal ECG impulse should have a P
wave, a QRS complex, and a T wave (in that
order).
■ The rate, rhythm, waves, and pacemaker are
all part of what make the electrical impulses
from the heart appear successful and normal
on the ECG.
Components of
ECG: P Wave
■ The P wave is the atrial
depolarization of the
heartbeat.
■ When everything is going
smoothly (“norm”), the P
wave should be before the
QRS complex and all the P
waves in the ECG signature
should be close to or perfectly
symmetrical.
Components of
ECG: QRS
Complex
■ The QRS complex is the
ventricle depolarization of the
heartbeat.
■ When everything is going
smoothly (“norm”), the QRS
complex should be in between
the P and T wave, pulsing at a
rate of 60-100 bpm.
■ The length in between two QRS
complexes on an ECG will tell
you a person’s heart rate.
Components of
ECG: T Wave
■ The T wave is the
repolarization of the
ventricles.
■ When everything is going
smoothly (“norm”), the T
wave should be after both the
P and the QRS wave and
should be slightly larger than
the P wave.
Components of ECG:
ST Segment
■ The ST segment is the time between
ventricle depolarization and repolarization.
■ When everything is going smoothly
(“norm”), the ST segment should be in the
area between the end of the QRS complex
and the beginning of the T wave.
■ The ST segment should last approximately
0.04 seconds.
What is Atrial
Flutter?
■ An atrial flutter occurs when
the short circuit works around
the right atrium, not allowing
the chamber to do their job
and fill back completely
before the next impulse.
■ This causes a quicker, but still
in rhythm, heart rate.
Symptoms of
Atrial Flutter
■ Stroke
■ Heart palpitations
■ Fatigue/ Dizziness
■ Trouble breathing
■ Fainting
ECG
SIGNATUR
E OF
ATRIAL
FLUTTER
Methods of
diagnosis for
Atrial Flutter
■ Using an ECG to pick up
on atrial flutter is the main
method of diagnosis.
■ If an ECG is insufficient
in diagnosing the atrial
flutter, a Holter or event
monitor can be used, as
well as an
electrophysiological
study.
Treatment for
Atrial Flutter
■ Catheter Ablation (with
electrophysiological study):
Destroys electrical pathways
■ Cardioversion: Small shock
to the heart to go back into
rhythm
■ Medication to control rhythm
and prevent blood clotting
Cardiac Medications
Involved in Treatment
of Atrial Flutter

■ Beta blocker
■ Calcium channel blocker
■ Anticoagulant
■ Antiarrhythmic
Who is most
susceptible to Atrial
Flutter?
■ Elderly people
■ A high blood pressure or an
underlying health/ heart
condition
■ Drinking/ addiction
■ Family history of heart issues
Complications
of Atrial Flutter
■ Blood clotting can occur
in the atriums, which can
lead to a stroke if not
properly treated in time.
■ If the atrial flutter remains
untreated for a long
period of time, it can
weaken the heart (called
cardiomyopathy).