Can anyone help explain about Electrocardiogram?

Nursing Students NCLEX

Published

What do you need help with?

I think you need a little more specific.

How to determine the rhythm?

Well, to determine the rhythm you have got to understand what all the waves and peaks etc. mean. You'll have to learn that in order to be able to determine rhythms. There are online EKG trainer but I don't think they help if you don't have the basic understanding of an EKG. Do you have study material from nursing school, that you could use?

Yes I have a material book. I need to go back and try to understand it.. Thanks for your help ?

I have this same problem.but I am not studied here in usa so I dnt have study material.can u help me for that?

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Specializes in being a Credible Source.

As can many others, I can probably answer just about any question you have.

If you're looking for a thorough tutorial, though, you're probably better off looking for published tutorials on the web, looking through your nursing books, and/or reading one or both of the books by Dale Dubin and Malcolm Thayer.

If you've got specific questions, post them.

Get a good EKG book from amazon Amazon.com: understanding ekg: Books

Thank you!!

As can many others, I can probably answer just about any question you have.

If you're looking for a thorough tutorial, though, you're probably better off looking for published tutorials on the web, looking through your nursing books, and/or reading one or both of the books by Dale Dubin and Malcolm Thayer.

If you've got specific questions, post them.

Thank you

Well for me the first thing you want to do is determine if the rhythm is regular or irregular. So first check the P waves. Measure from p wave to p wave marking it on a sheet of paper then check those markings to see if they approximately line up with all the p waves on the strip. Do the same for QRS complex. Measure peak to peak. If its regular proceed to determine if for every P wave is there a QRS complex. If not that can indicate a Block. Also determine the rate of both atria (p waves) and ventricles (QRS). There are a few ways to do that so let me know if you need help with that. Also you need to measure the PR interval. This becomes important to determine heart blocks. Then measure the QRS width. If its normal then the electrical signal is starting in the atria (SA) node like its supposed to typically. If its widened it indicates some problem in most cases. Once you know what's normal you can proceed to abnormal. Also when you are measuring the p waves you have to look at the strip as a whole. The p waves can sometimes be lost in the QRS complex or even the T wave in some instances. That does not mean there are no P waves. You can see this in PVCs or 3rd degree block. There is a lot to learn but break it down and you will be fine. Don't get lost or confused if the strip is ugly. They really are never real pretty like the books. Good luck and let me know if you have more questions

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