Interpreting ECG strips

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Hello!

I am having a terrible time interpreting ECG strips.

Do any of you know of any resources that could help?

Thank you in advance.

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The " ...Made Ridiculously Easy" series has one for you.

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There's a nice interactive page for ECG basics here.

The rest of the site is mostly aimed at EM docs, but the ECG Quiz is also helpful.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Here are some great resources teaching sites.

ECG Learning Center - An introduction to clinical electrocardiography

ECGpedia

Learn EKG basics - ECG review

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

Dale Dubin's book

Malcolm Thayer's book

Tomas Garcia's book

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

SkillStat 6 Second ECG

ECG's Made Incredibly Easy

ECG Workout by Jane Huff RN (this book has A LOT of practice strips)

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hello there!

I also need help with ecg interpretation. i want to sit for the ACLS but i think it would be better for me to know how to read ECG strips. I hope i could ask questions from time to time.

thank you (",)

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I've taught EKG (basic, advanced, 12-lead, etc) for a few decades now . . . & I have found that it is not unusual to be 'lost' on the first or even second exposure to this content... #1 - HUH? Oh, cool, I can find the P-waves & figure out the rate. #2 - OK, I remember the waveforms; now I can recognize most common rhythms based on those waveforms; #3 - I know what is causing those arrhythmias; and how to treat them; what to expect if they are not treated. . .

If you want to speed up your own learning process - there are 2 critically important areas: 1) Polarity... what makes the line go up and down in relation to electrode placement and 2) connecting the underlying physiology to the waveforms so that you really understand what those waveforms are telling you about the patient. Why & under what circumstances does that 1st degree block extend to a more serious one? What causes a wenckebach? What do those T-wave abnormalities indicate re: oxygenation or electrolyte imbalance? What's the connection between that BBB and ventricular function/ejection fraction?

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
hello there!

I also need help with ecg interpretation. i want to sit for the ACLS but i think it would be better for me to know how to read ECG strips. I hope i could ask questions from time to time.

thank you (",)

Of course you can ask questions.....and you will have to read strips as a part of ACLS.

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agree on the ACLS stuff. I suggest just going to barnes and noble and flipping through a few EKG books until you find one you like. I've been a cardiac nurse for over a decade and I could not have ever gotten started without a basic dysrhythmia course. if you are working, your hospital probably has access to one and you SHOULD go...it's super helpful, as a previous responder said. I too teach EKG class and it's essentially the same thing. good luck!

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ECG intertepretation: a 2 in 1 guide for nurses. I work in telemetry and that is th one we swear by.

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