EKG and cardiovascular testing module

Question 1

artifacts

Answer 1

• unwanted external event occuring in an EKG tracing not associated with the heart function

Question 2

limb leads

Answer 2

• white: right arm
• black: left arm
• green: right leg
• red: right leg

Question 3

precordial leads

Answer 3

• v1: red, right side of the chest, fourth intercostal space
• v2: yellow, left side of the chest, fourth intercostal space
• v4: blue, left side of the chest, fifth intercostal space, midclavicular line
• v3: green, left side of the chest, in between v2 and v4
• v5: orange, left side of the chest, fifth intercostal space, anterior axillary line
• v6: purple, left side of the chest, fifth intercostal space, midaxillary line

Question 4

p wave

Answer 4

• represents atrial depolarization or contraction

Question 5

QRS wave

Answer 5

• represents ventricular depolarization

Question 6

t wave

Answer 6

• represents ventricular repolarization or relaxation

Question 7

u wave

Answer 7

• not always visible
• represents a repolarization of the bundle of His and Purkinje fibers

Question 8

P-R interval

Answer 8

• represents the time it takes from the beginning of atrial depolarization to the beginning of ventricular depolarization

Question 9

QT interval

Answer 9

• represents the time it takes from the beginning of ventricular depolarization to the end of ventricular repolarization

Question 10

ST segment

Answer 10

• represents the time from the end of ventricular depolarization to the beginning of ventricular repolarization

Question 11

somatic tremor

Answer 11

• irregular spikes throughout the tracing
• related to muscle movement
• if patient is chilled, parkinson’s disease

Question 12

AC interference

Answer 12

• regular spikes in the EKG tracing
• related to poor grounding or external electricity interfering with the tracing
• lights, computers, and crossed lead wires

Question 13

wandering baseline

Answer 13

• results from poor electrode connection
• can be associated with lotions, oils, or powders on the skin
• baseline will wander away from the center of the paper, causing difficulty in tracing interpretation

Question 14

interrupted baseline

Answer 14

• obvious when there is a break in the tracing
• usually related to a disconnected or broken lead wire

Question 15

sinus bradycardia

Answer 15

• a normal EKG tracing of a heart rate less than 60/min

Question 16

sinus tachycardia

Answer 16

• a heart rate greater than 100/min

Question 17

sinus arrest

Answer 17

• a break in the normal EKG
• the sinoatrial node failed to fire
• not significant unless arrest lasts longer than 6 seconds

Question 18

atrial flutter

Answer 18

• atria are contracting at a rapid rate much faster than the ventricles are contracting

Question 19

atrial fibrillation

Answer 19

• no organized contraction of the atria
• in a quivering state where blood clot formation due to stagnation of the blood in the ventricles is possible

Question 20

ventricular fibrillation

Answer 20

• ventricles are not contracting but quivering
• no discernable waves noted throughout the tracing

Question 21

asystole

Answer 21

• the heart stops
• patient has no rhythm noted and the EKG will demonstrate asystole

Question 22

ambulatory monitoring

Answer 22

• holter monitoring
• EKG conducted over a period of time while the patient resumes normal activities

Question 23

polarization

Answer 23

• a state of cellular rest
• represented by a flatline on an EKG strip

Question 24

Which lead provides the clearest recording of the heart rhythm?

Answer 24

Lead II