Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.
allnurses

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.
Discussion

help with rhythms

I've been through classes on this, reviewed books, and still suck at recognizing cardiac rhythms on the fly. Any advice on how to make it easy to recognize specific cardiac rhythms quickly and easily?

  • Quote

    • Featured Replies

    I second skillstat. I used it last week and it really helped. I found this from an old post about heart blocks:

    "If your R is far from P, then you have a 1st degree.

    Longer, longer, longer, drop...then you have a Wenckebach.

    If your Ps don't go through, then you have a Mobitz 2.

    If your Ps don't agree, then you have a 3rd degree."

  • Quote
    • Experts

    While there are subtleties...... which will come with practice......in an emergency room you need to remember slow, fast, absent, irregular....wide QRS.....is this new? 1st degree AV, Mobitz 1, II, count in report....but the bottom line is what are the vitals and what are there symptoms, do you need to treat any underlying cause.....K+, dig tox etc. Cardiac Transplants won't respond to atropine.

    Extreme brady, VTach, Vfib, SVT....do they have a pulse? What is the B/P, Does it need to be shocked.......you get that part down you're good. I mean that. Get strips to look at in down time. Go to tele/ICU and collect them to look at on break...it will come. ;)

  • Quote

    I love the Skill Stat simulator!!!

    I've taken a couple of telemetry refreshers, but I don't see it every day (we're not a telemetry floor) so when I float I try to immerse myself in it and look at all the strips and monitors. The more I do it, the more naturally it comes :) and always remember, treat your patient, not the monitor? Do they have a pulse? Can they keep a blood pressure? That's the important stuff!

  • Quote

    I first look at the QRS (count how many there are to see what the heart rate is). Then see if it's regular or irregular (example: PVCs).

    Then I look to see if there are P waves, and go from there.

  • Quote

    • Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Add a Comment
    Go to topic listing

    Currently Reading 0

    • No registered users viewing this page.

    Account

    Navigation

    Search

    Search

    Configure browser push notifications
    Chrome (Android)
    1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
    2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
    3. Adjust your preference.
    Chrome (Desktop)
    1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
    2. Select Site settings.
    3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.