Cardiac Dysrhythmias and Arrhythmias Flashcards

Which arrhythmia is characterized by a sawtooth flutter wave pattern at a rate of 250-350 bpm?

Answer: Atrial flutter

Atrial flutter produces a characteristic sawtooth flutter wave pattern (F waves) at 250-350 bpm, best seen in leads II, III, and aVF.

A patient's ECG shows no discernible P waves, an irregularly irregular rhythm, and a ventricular rate of 110 bpm. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Answer: Atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is characterized by the absence of distinct P waves, a chaotic baseline, and an irregularly irregular ventricular response.

What is the typical ventricular rate in untreated atrial flutter with 2:1 conduction?

Answer: 150 bpm

With an atrial rate of 300 bpm and 2:1 AV conduction, exactly half the atrial impulses conduct, yielding a ventricular rate of approximately 150 bpm.

Which arrhythmia is most commonly associated with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome?

Answer: Atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT)

WPW syndrome involves an accessory pathway that creates a reentrant circuit, most commonly manifesting as AVRT.

On a rhythm strip, premature beats with wide, bizarre QRS complexes and a fully compensatory pause are characteristic of:

Answer: Premature ventricular contractions

PVCs arise from ventricular foci, producing wide and bizarre QRS complexes (>0.12 sec) followed by a fully compensatory pause.

A rhythm showing P waves that change morphology and PR intervals that vary, with a rate between 60-100 bpm, is called:

Answer: Wandering atrial pacemaker

Wandering atrial pacemaker is identified by at least three different P-wave morphologies with varying PR intervals at a normal heart rate.

Which of the following best describes Mobitz Type I (Wenckebach) second-degree AV block?

Answer: Progressively lengthening PR interval until a QRS is dropped

Mobitz Type I shows progressive PR interval lengthening with each beat until one P wave is not conducted and the cycle repeats.