EKG Heart Rate & Rhythm Analysis Flashcards
6 cards from real EKG certification Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 EKG Heart Rate & Rhythm Analysis flashcards as text
Using the sequence method (300-150-100-75-60-50), an R wave falls on a heavy black line and the next R wave falls between the fourth and fifth lines of the sequence. What is the estimated heart rate?
Answer: Between 60 and 75 bpm
The fourth heavy line corresponds to 75 bpm and the fifth to 60 bpm, so an R wave falling between them indicates a rate between 60 and 75 bpm.
An EKG strip recorded at standard speed (25 mm/sec) is 30 cm long. How many seconds of cardiac activity does this strip represent?
Answer: 12 seconds
At 25 mm/sec, a 300 mm (30 cm) strip represents 300 ÷ 25 = 12 seconds of recording.
A patient presents with a wide QRS complex tachycardia at a rate of 180 bpm. Which feature would most strongly suggest a ventricular origin rather than SVT with aberrancy?
Answer: AV dissociation visible on the strip
AV dissociation, where atrial and ventricular activity are independent of each other, is a hallmark finding that confirms ventricular tachycardia.
You are analyzing a rhythm strip and count 8 R waves within a 6-second interval. What is the calculated heart rate?
Answer: 80 bpm
With the 6-second method, multiply the number of R-R intervals (which is one fewer than R waves: 8 − 1 = 7… however, the standard method counts complexes and multiplies by 10, giving 8 × 10 = 80 bpm.
Which of the following heart rate ranges is classified as bradycardia in an adult patient?
Answer: Below 60 bpm
Bradycardia is defined as a heart rate below 60 beats per minute in an adult patient.
An EKG shows a completely chaotic baseline with no identifiable P waves, QRS complexes, or T waves, and no measurable rate. What rhythm is this?
Answer: Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation presents as a chaotic, disorganized waveform with no discernible P waves, QRS complexes, or T waves and no calculable heart rate.