ECG

DYSRYTHMIAS
Overview

 ECG waveforms
 Normal sinus rhythm
 Asystole
 Bradycardia
 Ventricular fibrillation
 Ventricular tachycardia
ECG Rhythm Strip

 Electrocardiogram or ECG is used ot

measure the activity of the heart
 ECG is used to represent the conduction of
electrical impulses from the atria to the
ventricles
 ECG is used to characterize rhythms and
conduction abnormalities of the heart
ECG Waveforms

Electrical activation (depolarization) of the right then

P Wave left atrium due to discharge from the sinoatrial (SA)
node
Passage of the impulse through the atrioventricular
PR Segment
(AV) node and bundle of HIS

QRS Complex Electrical depolarization of the ventricles

ST Segment Plateau phase

T Wave Repolarization of the ventricle

U Wave Repolarization of the HIS-Purkinje system

ECG Waveforms

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Normal Sinus Rhythm

 Normal impulse conduction through

theart
 Normal sinus rhythm (NSR) is the standard
against which all other rhythms are
compared
 NRS contains no ectopic or aberrant beats
ECG Rhythms

◼
Normal sinus rythm

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ECG Rhythms

 Asystole

 Bradycardia

 Ventricula
r
fibrillation

 Ventricular
tachycardi healthcentral.org
Asystole

 Asystole is a cardiac standstill, i.e., flatline

 Asystole is the absence of electrical activity in
the venticles
 Asystole usually results from a prolonged
period of cardiac arrest without
resuscitation
 Asystole usually means the patient’s life has
ended
ECG Rhythms

◼ Ventricular asystole

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Bradycardia

 Bradycardia is when the heart is < 60 beats/minute

or when the heart rate is slower than expected
 Sinus bradycardia usually occurs as a response to
a reduced demand for blood flow
 Signs and symptoms might include:
 Chest pain, shortness of breath
 Hypotension, pulmonary edema, congestive heart
failure
ECG Rhythms

◼ Sinus bradycardia

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Ventricular Fibrillation

 Ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurs as a

result of electrical impulses coming from
multiple ectopic pacemaker in the ventricles
 VF results in no cardiac output as a result
of producing no effective ventricular
contractions
 With VF the ventricular muscle quivers
instead of contracting
ECG Rhythms

◼ Ventricular fibrillation

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Ventricular Tachycardia

 Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a result of 3

or more ventricular contractions occur
earlier than expected resulting in a
ventricular rate of >10 beats/minute
 VT usually preceeds VF
 Causes of VT include myocardial ischemia,
heart failure, drug toxicity from
procainamide, quinidine, or cocaine
ECG Rhythms

◼ Ventricular tachycardia

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Name These C

ECG Rhythms

A D

B E

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Thank you