Mental overload with cardiac class!

http://www.skillstat.com

http://www.icufaqs.org

these have little games and quizzes you can do, and provide simple explanations of things.

http://www.onlineaha.org

go to the courses and select the basic dysrhythmia course...it's $30 but so worth it. really broke it down in simple language and i felt like i understood basic dysrhythmias at the end of it.

Is there anything specific you're having trouble with that I might be able to try and break down?

I second icufaq, great resource that breaks it down Barney style.

I have to take an ECG interpretation/cardiac intervention competency exam every year where I work(if we dont pass, we dont have a job so I study hard every year.) and I have found that the book ECG's made Incredibly Easy is a helpful resource and also skillstat.com. Its alot to take in the first time you take a class on this subject, but it will get easier. Good luck and happy learning:)

the above link, to icufaqs.com may not be the one you want,

but this one, http://www.icufaqs.org/ is likely the one NeoPediRN meant

the above link, to icufaqs.com may not be the one you want,

but this one, http://www.icufaqs.org/ is likely the one NeoPediRN meant

Oops, thanks! I corrected the link.

Is there anything specific you're having trouble with that I might be able to try and break down?

Its the rhythms, my teacher said to be able to recognize the ones that could be fatal and need intervention immediately. Like V-tach, V-fib, PSVT, SVT.

I usually like to utilize ed4nurses on youtube bc he dumbs it down enough that makes sense to me, BUT he had an example of a disrhythmia and said "well this one is sinus something" well...the QRS complex was inverted? so isn't that bad? So here I was thinking this was something totally different. BUT he said the issue with that strip was that it changed with inspiration and expiration and could be normal for some people. I get the inspiration/expiration part but I'm still stuck with the QRS on the bottom of the rhythm and not where it should be.

It also depends what lead you're looking at and the placement of the electrodes.

Can you post a pic of that complex?

It also depends what lead you're looking at and the placement of the electrodes.

Can you post a pic of that complex?

Idk if this will work b/c idk how to take a copy of that exact picture. so here is the link its at the 3:17 mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA6tHGD0lUA&feature=player_detailpage#t=0s

And when talking about leads...I don't necessarily understand the 2nd lead thing...geez this really makes me sound stupid but idc the important thing is I need to learn it even at the cost of my pride :)

So the second lead is important because of the placement bc its showing a specific part of the heart? What makes that lead more important?

Looks like it's in a different lead is all. It's sinus arrhythmia because the points of the complex (R wave) aren't equal. You can see a little longer repolarization (resting) period from the T wave of one complex to the R wave of the next, and vice versa, but the complexes in of themselves are normal.

Everyone gets bent out of shape about Lead II. It's the most common one but it's not the best one. It's used because it's positive. You're right, different leads are used to get information on different parts of the heart, and certain leads give better views of dysrhythmias than others.