Difference between atrial and ventricular rate?

EDRN1091 · Sep 13, 2013

Atrial rate = number of P waves in one minute (or # p waves x 10 in a six second strip)

Ventricular rate = number of QRS complexes in one minute (or # QRS x 10 in a six second strip).

Is this what you were looking for?

heyitsme728 · Sep 13, 2013

yes thanks.

heyitsme728 · Sep 13, 2013

yes but what if it's regular or irregular?

Caribbean Character · Sep 13, 2013

(Quote)yes but what if it's regular or irregular? (/Quote)

You are always better off doing a 60 second strip just for that reason.

heyitsme728 · Sep 13, 2013

you only get the rate if it's irregular...

how about when it's regular? 300 divided by the number of Ps or QRSs?

EDRN1091 · Sep 14, 2013

I'm not sure what you mean by "you only get the rate if its irregular". That doesn't make sense. If you're looking for the overall heart rate it is the number of QRS complexes in a 60 second strip/#QRS x 10 in a six second strip (only with regular rhythms). Without a QRS - essentially there is no heart beat. So if this doesn't answer your question, try to rephrase it because I'm not sure what information you're looking for.

heyitsme728 · Sep 14, 2013

Regular...the length from the R to R is equal.

Irregular...the length from the R to R is not equal.

beckster_01, BSN, RN · Sep 14, 2013

Whether the rhythm is regular or irregular should not affect counting the heart rate. You still count the P's for an atrial rate, and the QRS for a ventricular rate, regardless. If you are still confused I would try to find an EKG workbook with a solutions manual so you can practice (or seek out 1:1 help with a TA, professor, or another student).

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Sep 14, 2013

Regular...the length from the R to R is equal.
Irregular...the length from the R to R is not equal.

Perhaps OP is referring to the the square counting method, which can only be used for regular heart rates. Find the QRS, and count the number of thick lines in between them until you get to the next QRS, using the sequence 300, 150, 100, 75, 60, 50, 43, 37. You can also divide 1500 by the number of small boxes between R waves.

Keep in mind that there should be 1 P wave for every QRS, therefore in a normal sinus rhythm the atrial rate is equivalent to the ventricular rate.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2013

you only get the rate if it's irregular...
how about when it's regular? 300 divided by the number of Ps or QRSs?

I don't know what this is.......you need to explain. unless you mean......There are several methods for determining heart rate. Our first method is simple. Count the number of QRS complexes over a 6 second interval. Multiple by 10 to determine heart rate. This method works well for both regular and irregular rhythms. If you count 7 QRS complexes, so the heart rate is 70.

The second method uses small boxes. Count the number of small boxes for a typical R-R interval. Divide this number into 1500 to determine heart rate. If the number of small boxes for the R-R interval is 22.5. The heart rate is 1500/21.5, which is 69.8.

These sites may help you.

http://www.rn.org/courses/coursematerial-187.pdf

http://courses.kcumb.edu/physio/ecg primer/normecgcalcs.htm#The R-R interval

http://www.practicalclinicalskills.com/ekg-lesson.aspx?coursecaseorder=5&courseid=301

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2013

OP, it may be helpful for you to know that EKG paper runs through the machine at a constant rate, and this is the same everywhere by convention. That rate is 300 big boxes per minute, or 1500 little boxes per minute (there are five little ones in every big one).

Knowing that, you can see that if you had something (like a QRS) in every big box, your heart rate would be 300/minute (whew! ok if you're a pygmy shrew, but not so hot for humans).

If you had a QRS in every other box, that would be ... 150/minute (300/2)

Every third box, 100/minute (300/3)

Every fourth box, 75/minute (300/4)

Every 5th box, 60/minute (300/5)

And so on....