All You Need To Know About ECG exam review

Explore the 12-lead ECG as a camera viewing the heart from multiple angles, detailing bipolar limb leads, unipolar augmented limb leads, and V1-V6 chest leads across septal to inferior surfaces.

The P wave represents both atria depolarization; right atrial enlargement yields tall peaks, left atrial enlargement yields broad notched waves. Absent P waves indicate atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia.

Identify the QRS complex as ventricular depolarization with a normal width of 1–2.5 small boxes, and differentiate origin by width: narrow (<3 boxes) indicates supra-ventricular, wide (>3 boxes) indicates ventricular.

Explore the QT interval, from the start of the QRS to the end of the T wave, reflecting ventricular depolarization and repolarization, 0.36–0.44 seconds, prolongation raises torsades de pointes risk.

Review atrial arrhythmias by analyzing rhythm regularity, heart rate, P waves, and QRS complexes to diagnose supraventricular tachycardia.

ventricular tachycardia originates from the ventricle, producing wide QRS and a fast rate. Causes include ischemia, electrolyte imbalances; treat unstable ventricular tachycardia with synchronized cardioversion, amiodarone, lidocaine, or procainamide.

Identify third degree av block as a complete heart block where av conduction fails, the ventricle paces itself slowly, and the ekg shows no p–qrs relation, treated by pacemaker.

Review AV block patterns on ECG: first-degree with PR prolongation, Mobitz type I with progressively lengthening PR, Mobitz type II with sudden QRS drop, and third-degree with no P-QRS relation.

Diagnose asystole as a flatline with no electrical activity, recognize pulseless electrical activity means the heart fails to contract despite signals, and treat with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and epinephrine or atropine.

Explore Mobitz type 1 and Mobitz type 2 AV blocks, atrial flutter, and the deflection patterns on the ECG, along with common recording mistakes in ECG exams.