Basic Electrocardiogram Flashcards

After the SA node, the electrical impulse next travels to the:

Answer: Atrioventricular (AV) node

The impulse moves from the SA node to the AV node before continuing to the ventricles.

The Purkinje fibers are responsible for:

Answer: Rapidly spreading the impulse through the ventricular muscle

Purkinje fibers conduct the impulse quickly throughout the ventricles to trigger contraction.

A completely flat line on the ECG with no electrical activity indicates:

Answer: Asystole

Asystole is the absence of electrical activity, shown as a flat line.

Which patient position is standard for recording a routine resting 12-lead ECG?

Answer: Supine (lying flat on the back)

A routine ECG is recorded with the patient lying supine and relaxed to minimize artifact.

Reversing the right arm and left arm electrodes will most likely cause:

Answer: An abnormal-looking tracing in lead I and aVR

Limb lead reversal produces distorted, inverted tracings, commonly obvious in leads I and aVR.

The isoelectric line on an ECG is best defined as:

Answer: The flat baseline where no net electrical activity is detected

The isoelectric line is the flat baseline representing the absence of measurable electrical deflection.

An irregularly irregular rhythm with no clear P waves is characteristic of:

Answer: Atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation shows an irregularly irregular rhythm with absent discernible P waves.