Dysrhythmia: challenging an exam question

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  • Specializes in Telemetry, correctional.

How should I effectively go about challenging an exam question that I recently had on an exam.

There was a "blown up" rhythm strip on my exam. The question had three parts.

Find the PR, QT, and QRS seconds.

I got them all wrong because I didn't realize the strip was blown up! The question didn't state this. I got them wrong because I counted the boxes as big boxes (0.20 s) instead of counting the boxes as small boxes (0.04 s). I counted the boxes perfectly. This really brought my grade down.

Do you think I can fight this question? Ideas?

klone, MSN, RN

14,790 Posts

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

But by thinking each box was 0.2 seconds instead of 0.04 seconds, you showed that you don't have a deeper understanding of cardiac rhythms and what would be a typical length of time for one complex. You should have realized that your answer was way off, and then you should have questioned what you were seeing. Your critical thinking was lacking, and for that reason, I would not accept your challenge if I were the instructor.

Specializes in Critical Care Transport.

I'm with klone. Unfortunately, you should have known that counting each box as 0.2 seconds would have made an irregular rate/rhythm. Just think logically through that error. The cardiac cycle would be occurring much slower than it needs to be. I do not think you have a case to argue. Sorry.

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

No matter how much a strip is enlarged, there is always a difference in the line thickness which should clue you in even if you don't catch on to the logic outlined by PPs.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
I'm with klone. Unfortunately, you should have known that counting each box as 0.2 seconds would have made an irregular rate/rhythm. Just think logically through that error. The cardiac cycle would be occurring much slower than it needs to be. I do not think you have a case to argue. Sorry.

THIS.

Moving forward, when in doubt question; otherwise, understanding rhythm strips comes down to the fundamentals of how they are measured.

Short answer: :no:

RNKPCE

1,170 Posts

According to your logic a 2 box QRS interval would be .4 instead of .08. A PR interval that would be 4 small boxes would have be.8 instead of .16

You can ask your instructor but you are not completely understanding the concepts

nowim clean

296 Posts

You are trying to explain why you got a hotdog instead of the hamburger that was ordered. You do not have any ground to stand on, and if this question 'really brought your grade down" you was failing the exam to begin with. Learn from this and move on do not even try to argue this one you will lose. Practice strips over and over until you understand what you are looking at and remember the blown up size only affects how you see things not how you measure them, much like other questions not only do you need to know why your answer is right but also why the others are wrong.

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