How to Remember ECG Changes in Electrolyte Imbalance?

Rule of thumb. An increase or decrease will cause arrhythmia. Increase will increase bp and a decrease will decrease bp.

I don't think there is an easy way to remember each one.

Hypocalcemia- Prolonged ST and QT intervals

Hypercalcemia- shortened ST segment

- widened T wave

Hypokalemia- ST depression

- shallow, flat, inverted T wave

- Prominent U wave

Hyperkalemia- Tall, peaked T waves

- Flat P waves

- widened QRS complex

- Prolonged PR interval

Hypomagnesemia- Tall T waves

- Depressed ST segment

Hypermagnesemia- Prolonged PR interval

- widened QRS complexes

Thought this might help... I don't know of any shortcuts though... ?

If you go further and make a table, You'll see some similarities and differences and I hope it'll help to remember.

I believe the best way to remember is to understand why the changes occur and seeing examples. I have a teaching web site which contains a power point presentation on basic ekg and early in the program is an internal link to electrolyte induced ekg changes. I have used the programs to teach nursing and medical students. The site also has auscultation programs and a self teaching virtual pediatric patient

https://www1.columbia.edu/sec/itc/hs/medical/peds_cardiology/

This for anyone's use. I would appreciate feed back as to its usefulness and suggestions as I am constantly trying to improve the site.

Hi! Hope this will help you...

First, think of the normal ecg first...I made a poster that's really big and put it in my wall so I can see it always...

Think how it starts and end...so it starts with p followed by q r s t

So let's start from where it begins...

p flat hyperkalemia

pr prolonged hyperkalemia hypermagnesemia

qrs widened hyperkalemia hypermagnesemia

qt prolonged hypocalcemia

st prolonged hypocacemia

st shortened hypercalcemia

st depressed hypokalemia hypomagnesemia

t widened hypercalcemia

t tall hyperkalemia hypomagnesemia

t inverted hypokalemia

shallow, flat

u prominent hypokalemia