Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    EKG/ECG Interpretation Made Easy: A Practical Approach to Passing the ECG/EKG Portion of NCLEX
    EKG/ECG Interpretation Made Easy: A Practical Approach to Passing the ECG/EKG Portion of NCLEX
    EKG/ECG Interpretation Made Easy: A Practical Approach to Passing the ECG/EKG Portion of NCLEX
    Ebook160 pages1 hour

    EKG/ECG Interpretation Made Easy: A Practical Approach to Passing the ECG/EKG Portion of NCLEX

    By Shareece Williams

    5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Grasping concepts relating to the most common rhythms is essential for today's nurse who sees sicker patients – many requiring telemetry. It is also the backbone of Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support training–a must-have for nurses interested in critical care.


    Contrary to popular belief, cardiac rhythm identification isn't hard. What most of us need is access to a good book. EKG/ECG Interpretation Made Simple makes learning to read and interpret rhythm strips simple. Among other things, the book explains how to obtain and interpret a rhythm strip, and interpret 12-lead ECGs.


    Here is a preview of what you will learn:


    Understanding the Principles Of Cardiac Electrophysiology And ECG InterpretationThe electrical conduction system of the heart The sinoatrial node (SA node)Studying the clinical aspects of automaticityCardiac Electrophysiology: action potential, automatic and electrical vectorsThe ECG leads: electrodes, limbleads, chest (precordial) leads, 12-Lead ECG (EKG)Presentation of ECG leadsStandard display of ECG leads in the 12-lead ECGECG Interpretation: definitions, criteria, and characteristics of the normal ECG (EKG) waves, intervals, durations & rhythmNCLEX practice test questionsMuch, much, more!


    You can expect to fully understand EKG interpretation and ultimately pass the NCLEX with ease!


      

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPublishdrive
    Release dateMar 18, 2019
    EKG/ECG Interpretation Made Easy: A Practical Approach to Passing the ECG/EKG Portion of NCLEX

    Related to EKG/ECG Interpretation Made Easy

    Related ebooks

    Wellness For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • UNLIMITED

      Danger! Low voltage

      Apr 1, 2024

      Danger! Low voltage
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Shocking Superpowers

      Jun 10, 2021

      Shocking Superpowers
      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Secrets Of The SYNCHROTRON

      Jan 21, 2021

      Secrets Of The SYNCHROTRON
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      What Is Biomagnetism?

      Sep 27, 2020

      The term biomagnetism is used to describe both the interaction of living organisms with external magnetic fields as well as the endogenous creation of magnetic fields by living beings themselves. A magnetic field is created whenever charged particles

      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Body Electric

      Jul 25, 2021

      In the summer of 1816, Mary Shelley visited the British Romantic poet and satirist Lord Byron, taking part in a literary gathering at his villa in Geneva. As the story goes, Lord Byron challenged his guests to each write a ghost story. Inspired by th

      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Body Electric

      Sep 27, 2020

      The Body Electric
      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      What Are Frequencies?

      Jun 4, 2023

      What Are Frequencies?
      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Heart Of The Matter

      Sep 17, 2020

      The Heart Of The Matter
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Better Fake Muscles Give Robot Fish Real Kick

      Feb 2, 2024

      Researchers have developed artificial muscles for robot motion. Their solution offers several advantages over previous technologies: it can be used wherever robots need to be soft rather than rigid or where they need more sensitivity when interacting

      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      ‘Baby Whale’ Electrical Zaps May Shed Light On Epilepsy

      Jun 26, 2018

      A fish that uses electrical charges to sense and communicate with the world around it could provide new insights into diseases such as epilepsy, according to new research. Brienomyrus brachyistius, commonly known as the baby whale, sends out electric

      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Real-time Health Monitor Could Get Power From Blood

      Jun 25, 2024

      Researchers are proposing a new device that uses blood to generate electricity and measure its conductivity, opening doors to medical care in any location. Metabolic disorders, like diabetes and osteoporosis, are burgeoning throughout the world, espe

      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Let There Be Light

      Sep 28, 2022

      Dr Pollack has found that infrared light, especially the 3,000 nanometer (nm) wavelength, is the most effective light for energizing and structuring water. If a breakdown of structured water decreases blood flow, puts stress on the heart and leads to

      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Uninterruptible Power Supplies

      Oct 21, 2018

      Uninterruptible Power Supplies
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      How Inkjet Printers Help Transform Stem Cells

      Apr 12, 2017

      Inkjet printers and lasers are parts of a new way to produce cells important to research on nerve regeneration. Schwann cells, for example, form sheaths around axons, the tail-like parts of nerve cells that carry electrical impulses. They promote reg

      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Analog Adventures

      Jun 1, 2019

      Analog Adventures
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Monkeys Trained To Weightlift

      Aug 6, 2020

      Researchers at UCL and Newcastle University trained monkeys to pull a weighted handle using one arm, and gradually increased the weight over 12 weeks. Each day, they stimulated the monkeys’ motor cortices (the motor cortex is the part of the brain th

      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Not A Heart Attack!

      Jul 2, 2020

      Not A Heart Attack!
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Using Magnets To Influence The Brain Could Lead To Revolutionary New Depression Treatment

      Mar 16, 2022

      DR YICHAO YU AND PROF MARK LYTHGOE Neuroscientists YOUR TECHNIQUE FOCUSED ON ASTROCYTES. WHAT EXACTLY ARE THEY? Yichao Yu: They’re a type of glial cell [non-neuronal cells that are found in the brain and spinal cord]. They’re very abundant, they outn

      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for EKG/ECG Interpretation Made Easy

    5/5

    2 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      EKG/ECG Interpretation Made Easy - Shareece Williams

      end.

      Chapter 1

      Understanding the Principles Of Cardiac Electrophysiology And ECG Interpretation

      FOR THE HEART TO WORK effectively, the atria and the ventricles must be activated rapidly and sequentially. Rapid activation is important in order to activate as much myocardium simultaneously as possible; the more myocardium contracting at the same time the more efficient the pumping mechanism. Sequential activation implies that the atria are activated first and they fill the ventricles with adequate volumes of blood, before ventricular contraction commences. To coordinate these two tasks, the heart has an electrical conduction system composed of specialized myocardial cells (henceforth referred to as conduction cells).

      These cells form bundles of fibers which act as electrical cords that spread the action potential rapidly and sequentially to contractile myocardium in the atria and the ventricles. When contractile myocardium receives the action potential, it is activated and contracts. Figure 1 illustrates relevant components of the conduction system, the heart and the classical ECG waveforms.

      FIGURE 1. The cardiac cycle starts when cells in the sinoatrial node discharges an action potential that spreads as an electrical impulse through the atria and – via the atrioventricular node – to the ventricles. As the impulse spreads through the myocardium, it activates the cells which respond by contracting. The action potential generates electrical currents which gives rise to the classical ECG waveforms presented here.

      Activation of the atria is reflected as the P-wave and activation of the ventricles results in the QRS complex. The T-wave reflects the recovery (repolarization) of the ventricles. Note that the ECG rarely shows atrial recovery (repolarization) since it coincides with ventricular depolarization (i.e QRS complex), which has much stronger electrical potentials.

      Types of Cell in Electrocardiology

      FOR THE PURPOSE OF this discussion it is important to distinguish between two main types of cardiac cells:

      Conduction cells form the fiber networks that sprout into the myocardium and disseminate the action potential. These cells have virtually no contractile function.

      Contractile myocardial cells carry out the actual contraction but are also capable of transmitting the action potential, albeit at a much lower speed than the conduction cells. The terms contractile myocardium, myocardium or simply myocardial cell, refer to this cell type and these terms are used interchangeably.

      Cardiac cell architecture

      IN CONTRAST TO SKELETAL muscle, cardiac cells display a branch-like morphology. As illustrated in Figure 2 below all cardiac cells are connected, both electrically and mechanically, along their long axis. This cell architecture is referred to as a syncytium, which implies that the entire network of cells functions as one unit.

      It follows that if one cell in the syncytium is activated, it will activate all cells downstream (provided that they are excitable). The connections between the cells are termed intercalated discs. The intercalated disc is composed of cell membrane proteins that connects adjacent cells both mechanically and electrically. The electrical connection is established by gap junctions, which are proteins that forms channels between the cell membranes. Electrically charged ions can flow between cells through the gap junctions. It follows that the action potential can spread from one cell to the next using this route.

      FIGURE 2. SCHEMATIC illustration of the myocardial syncytium. Note the branched cell structure and the connections between the cells.

      Understanding the cardiac action potential

      THE action potential includes a depolarization (activation) followed by a repolarization (recovery). As mentioned above, the cardiac cycle starts when the sinoatrial node discharges the first action potential, which then spreads through the myocardium like a wave front in water. Specific ion channels located on the cell membranes open and close during de- and repolarization, such that ions (Na+ [sodium], K+ [potassium], Ca2+ [calcium]) can flow between the intra- and extracellular compartment. Thus, the action potential involves movement of ions – which are charged particles – and therefore the action potential generates an electrical current. Figure 3 (below) shows the appearance of the action potential in myocardial cells (the action potential will be discussed in detail in the next chapter.

      Note that the terms electrical impulse, impulse and impulse wave are used interchangeably to refer to the wave-like spread of the action potential in the myocardium.

      FIGURE 3. THE ACTION potential of contractile cells. Inactive (resting) myocardial cells have a resting membrane potential of -90 mV. Upon stimulation, the cell depolarizes and a rapid increase in the membrane potential is noted. The cell returns to its resting state by repolarizing. These concepts are discussed in detail in the next chapter.

      Cardiac electromechanical coupling

      DEPOLARIZATION ACTIVATES the myocardial cells and induces cellular processes that lead to cell contraction. The spread of an electrical impulse is therefore directly coupled to a mechanical event (this is referred to as electromechanical coupling). Because there is an abundance of ions in the tissues and fluids surrounding the heart – and indeed in the entire human body – the electrical currents generated in the heart are transmitted all the way to the skin, where they can be recorded using electrodes.

      Electrocardiography is the art of recording and interpreting the electrical potentials generated in the myocardium. The electrocardiograph presents these electrical events in a diagram referred to as electrocardiogram (ECG).

      The electrical potentials generated by components of the conduction system (sinoatrial node, atrioventricular node, bundle of His, Purkinje fibers) are too small to be detected using surface (skin) electrodes. Hence, the ECG only presents activity of contractile atrial and ventricular myocardium. This is unfortunate because the conduction system plays a pivotal role in cardiac function and certainly ECG interpretation. Luckily, it is almost always possible to draw conclusions about the conduction system based on the visible ECG waveforms and rhythm. In some instances, however, invasive electrophysiological studies (recording of electrical activity from inside the heart using catheters equipped with electrodes) is necessary.

      The electrical conduction system of the heart

      The sinoatrial node (SA node)

      THE SINOATRIAL NODE is a small oval structure

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1