Rhythm Examples
Rhythm #1: Sinus Bradycardia
- Rate: 30 bpm
- Regularity: regular
- P waves: normal
- PR interval: 0.12 s
- QRS duration: 0.10 s
Interpretation: Sinus Bradycardia
Rhythm #2: Sinus Tachycardia
- Rate: 130 bpm
- Regularity: regular
- P waves: normal
- PR interval: 0.16 s
- QRS duration: 0.08 s
Interpretation: Sinus Tachycardia
Rhythm #5: Atrial Fibrillation
- Rate: 100 bpm
- Regularity: irregularly irregular
- P waves: none
- PR interval: none
- QRS duration: 0.06 s
Interpretation: Atrial Fibrillation
Rhythm #6: Atrial Flutter
- Rate more than 250 up to 320 b/min.
- Sawtooth pattern on ECG.
- Associated with organic heart disease.
Interpretation: Atrial Flutter
Ventricular Fibrillation
- Rhythm: irregular-coarse or fine, waveform varies in size and shape.
- Fires continuously from multiple foci.
- No organized electrical activity.
- No cardiac output.
- Causes: MI, ischemia, untreated VT, underlying CAD, acid-base imbalance, electrolyte imbalance, hypothermia.
Ventricular Tachycardia
- Ventricular cells fire continuously due to a looping re-entrant circuit.
- Rate usually regular, 100 - 250 bpm.
- P wave: may be absent, inverted, or retrograde.
- QRS: complexes bizarre, > 0.12.
- Rhythm: usually regular.
