THE PRACTICE TEST
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Butterfly needles Winged needle sets are also known as butterfly needles. They are used to collect blood from small, fragile, and surface-level veins, such as veins on the back of the hand.Milliner's needles Straight needles Universal needles
Hyperalbuminemia Hyperalbuminemia is an abnormally high level of albumin in the blood.Hyperglycemia Hyperglycemia is abnormally high blood sugar levels.Hyperplasia Hyperplasia is increased cell production in a tissue or organ.Hypertension Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. The word is from hyper (meaning "high") and tension (meaning "pressure").
Diastole Septum Systole Systole is the heartbeat phase when the heart muscle contracts, pumping blood out of the heart.Tachycardia
Exercise Fever High concentration of potassium in the blood Increased blood pressure
Sinus arrest Sinus bradycardia Sinus dysrhythmia Sinus tachycardia
Sinus arrest Sinus bradycardia Sinus dysrhythmia Sinus tachycardia
High blood pressure Increased perfusion of vital organs Low blood pressure The patient is alert and oriented
Atrial fibrillation Atrial flutter Multfocal atrial tachycardia Sinus tachycardia
Bleeding problems Bundle branch block Hypertension Stroke Atrial fibrillation is where the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat irregularly, causing blood to pool and increasing the risk of clot formation. If a clot travels to the brain, it can cause a stroke. The risk of stroke is about five times higher in people with atrial fibrillation.
atrophied muscle low blood pressure narrowed heart arteries ruptured blood vessels
Atrial fibrillation Junctional tachycardia Sinus tachycardia Ventricular tachycardia
A clear, easily identifiable P wave A heart rate of over 150 beats per minute Supraventricular tachycardia is a heart disorder that causes a fast heartbeat. The heart may beat more than 150 times a minute.A wide QRS complex Different atrial and ventricular rates
abnormal Arrhythmia (also called dysrhythmia) is any abnormality of the heart's rhythm, whether the heart is beating too slowly, too quickly, or irregularly.normal too fast too slow
20-40 beats per minute 40-60 beats per minute 60-100 beats per minute 100-150 beats per minute
20-40 beats per minute 40-60 beats per minute 60-100 beats per minute 100-150 beats per minute
100-150 beats per minute 20-40 beats per minute 40-60 beats per minute 60-100 beats per minute
First-degree heart block Second-degree type I heart block Second-degree type II heart block Third-degree heart block First-degree heart block is the least severe and third-degree heart block is the most severe.
Accelerated idioventricular Agonal An agonal rhythm can be very slow; even less than 10 beats per minute.Ventricular fibrillation Ventricular tachycardia
Asystole Idioventricular Idioventricular rhythm is a slow regular ventricular rhythm with a rate of less than 50 bpm, an absence of P waves, and a prolonged QRS interval.Ventricular fibrillation Ventricular tachycardia
Atrial fibrillation Bradycardia Supraventricular tachycardia Ventricular fibrillation
Bradycardia Bradycardia means a slow heartbeat. The word bradycardia is from brady (meaning "slow") and cardia (meaning "heart").Epicardium Epicardium is the outer layer of the heart.Myocardium Myocardium is the heart's muscular tissue.Tachycardia Tachycardia is a fast heart rate, over 100 beats a minute.
40–60 bpm 60–80 bpm 80–100 bpm >100 bpm Tachycardia is a heart rate of over 100 beats a minute. Tachy- means "fast" and -cardia means "heart".
constricts the pupils increases the heart rate The sympathetic nervous system activates when you're stressed, in danger, or physically active. It increases your heart rate, dilates your pupils, stimulates sweat production, and slows your digestion.promotes digestion reduces blood pressure
AV node Bundle of His Left atrium Sinoatrial node The sinoatrial (SA) node regulates the heart rate and is known as the heart's pacemaker.
Arteries Atria Valves Ventricles Systole is the period of the cardiac cycle when the ventricles contract, ejecting blood into the aorta and pulmonary trunk.
automaticity Automaticity is the property of cardiac cells to generate spontaneous action potentials.conductivity contractility excitability
Bundle of His The bundle of His is a specialized group of heart muscle cells that conducts electrical impulses from the atria to the ventricles.Endocardium The endocardium is the inner lining of the heart. Endo- means "inner" and cardium means "heart".Myocardium The myocardium is the heart muscle. Myo- means "muscle".Pericardium The pericardium is the fluid-filled sac that surrounds the heart. Peri- means "surrounding".
20-40 beats per minute 40-60 beats per minute 60-80 beats per minute 80-100 beats per minute
A heart rate below 60 beats per second An irregular heart rate When the heart muscle contracts When the heart muscle relaxes Diastole is the period between heartbeats when the heart relaxes and fills with blood.
to produce an electrical rhythm to record the patient's breathing pattern to treat an abnormal heart rhythm without training
Breathing rate and rhythm An ECG is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart. It is used to assess the heart's health, not the lungs or breathing.Electrical conduction through the heart Heart rate Signs of heart conditions
Assisted-living centers Clinics Hospitals A continuous ECG (electrocardiogram) monitor is most commonly used in hospitals, such as intensive care units, emergency rooms, and cardiac care units. This monitor continuously monitors the electrical activity of a patient's heart, allowing doctors to respond to abnormal heart rhythms immediately.Physician's offices
cardiovascular technologist electrocardiogram monitoring technician electrocardiogram technician physician assistant
Blood pressure Blood volume Circulation Heart rate Pulse is a measure of the number of times the heart beats per minute.
40 to 80 60 to 100 A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute.80 to 120 100 to 140
Anterior Inferior Lateral Septal
Anterior Inferior Lateral Leads I, aVL, V5, and V6 are the lateral leads as they provide a view of the lateral wall of the left ventricle.Septal
Anterior Inferior Lateral Septal
Anterior Inferior Leads II, III, and aVF are referred to as the inferior leads because they provide a view of the inferior wall of the left ventricle.Lateral Septal
Attaching the LA lead to the patient's left arm Attaching the LL lead to the patient's left leg Attaching the RL lead to the patient's right arm RL means 'right leg' and should be attached to the patient's right leg, not the right arm. The correct lead placements are:- RA: right arm
- LA: left arm
- RL: right leg
- LL: left leg
- V1 to V6: chest
Attaching the V1 lead to the 4th intercostal space, right sternal edge
10 12 A standard ECG has ten electrodes (the patches that stick to the skin) and twelve leads (the views of the heart). There are six limb leads (I, II, III, aVL, aVF, and aVR) and six precordial leads (V1 to V6). These leads provide different views of the heart's electrical activity.14 16
Grounding leads Inferior leads Leads II, III, and aVF are called inferior leads because they observe the inferior wall of the left ventricle.Lateral leads Limb leads
actual alternating amplitude augmented AVL stands for 'augmented voltage left'. Left in this case means the left arm.
F F or 'foot' refers to the left leg electrode, not the right leg electrode.N The right leg electrode is also known as the N electrode (for 'neutral') or the ground electrode. Unlike the other leads, the RL electrode does not record electrical activity. Instead, it completes the circuit and helps reduce electrical interference.T V1 V1 is a chest electrode.
Lead I aVF aVL aVR aVR is the augmented unipolar right arm lead. It is called "augmented" because its signal is amplified, and "unipolar" because it measures the electrical activity from only one limb (on the right arm).
disposable, more than once disposable, once reusable, more than once reusable, once
Adams–Stokes syndrome Bradycardia Bundle branch block Tachycardia Tachycardia is a heart rate over 100 beats per minute. For patients with tachycardia, you may need to increase the ECG paper speed from 25 mm/sec to 50 mm/sec to make the output easier to read.
RA, LA and LL The electrodes RA (right arm), LA (left arm), and LL (left leg) form Einthoven's Triangle.RA, LA and RL RA, LL and RL V1, V2 and V3
Anterior-posterior angle Einthoven's triangle Lead I Sternal angle The angle of Louis is also known as the sternal angle. It is an angle found on the sternum (breastbone). It is helpful to be able to identify the angle of Louis when placing ECG electrodes.
"Don't worry; it takes only a few seconds." "I will have to report your refusal to my supervisor." "Your doctor has ordered this test, and it must be done." “Can you tell me what concerns you about the ECG?” Asking the patient why they don't want an ECG is the most appropriate response. It allows the ECG technician to understand the patient's concerns or fears, which can then be addressed appropriately to reassure and educate the patient about the importance and safety of the procedure.
Anywhere between the right shoulder and the wrist Fifth intercostal space at the midclavicular line V4 is placed at the fifth intercostal space at the midclavicular line, as shown in the image below. The fifth intercostal space is the fifth gap between the ribs, counting from the top. The midclavicular line is an imaginary vertical line that runs down from the midpoint of the clavicle (collarbone).
Fourth intercostal space to the left of the sternum Fourth intercostal space to the right of the sternum
At the fifth intercostal space to the left of the midclavicular line At the fourth intercostal space to the left of the sternum The V2 lead is placed at the fourth intercostal space to the left of the sternum (breastbone).At the fourth intercostal space to the right of the sternum Midway between V3 and V5
check the ground prong lower the bed raise the side rail wash your hands To prevent disease transmission during an ECG procedure, it is essential to wash your hands. Hand hygiene is the best way to reduce the spread of infections and maintain a sterile environment.
At the fifth intercostal space, left midclavicular line At the fourth intercostal space, left sternal border At the fourth intercostal space, right sternal border The V1 lead is placed at the fourth intercostal space at the right sternal border.Midway between V3 and V5
Anywhere between the right shoulder and the wrist The fourth intercostal space to the left of the sternum The fourth intercostal space to the right of the sternum The midaxillary line at the same level as V4 and V5 V6 is placed at the midaxillary line at the same horizontal level as V4 and V5.
Cancel the electrocardiogram Perform the electrocardiogram but without the LL and RL electrodes Perform the electrocardiogram but without the LL electrode Place the LL electrode above the patient's left knee instead Since you cannot place the LL electrode on the patient's lower left leg, you should place the electrode on the upper left leg instead, or on the lower torso anywhere caudal to the heart. Since the EKG measures electrical vectors, it does not matter whether the arm or leg electrode is on the arm or leg; they just have to be relatively close to the line drawn between the heart and the limb.
LL and LA On an ECG:- the RA and LA electrodes form lead I
- the RA and LL electrodes form lead II
- the LA and LL electrodes form lead III
This is shown in the image below, which is called Einthoven's triangle. 
LL and RA RL and LA RL and RA
Lead II = Lead I + Lead III Einthoven’s law states that the sum of the potentials of Lead I and Lead III equals that of Lead II.Lead II = Lead I − Lead III Lead III = Lead I + Lead II Lead III = Lead I − Lead II
LA and RA Lead I represents the voltage difference between the left arm (LA) and the right arm (RA).This is shown in the Einthoven triangle below. 
LA and RL RA and LL RA and RL
6 8 10 A 12-lead ECG uses ten electrodes. Four electrodes are placed on the arms and legs (RA, LL, LA, RL) and six are placed over the heart (V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, and V6).12
Alternating voltage leads Amplified voltage leads Augmented limb leads Leads aVR, aVL, and aVF are the augmented limb leads. They are called limb leads because their electrodes are placed on the arms and legs of the patient, and augmented because their signals are created from other limb leads (leads I, II and III).Depolarization-repolarization leads
Augmented limb leads Bipolar limb leads The six limb leads are I, II, III, aVR, aVL, and aVF. Three are unipolar (aVR, aVL, and aVF) and three are bipolar (I, II, and III).Positive limb leads Unipolar limb leads
Bundle branch block Heart murmur Myocardial infarction The leads are on the wrong way around
Atrial depolarization Atrial repolarization Ventricular depolarization Ventricular repolarization
Brugada syndrome Diabetes First-degree heart block Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome is a condition where an accessory pathway results in pre-excitation.
P wave QRS complex T wave Z wave The P wave is caused by the depolarization of the atria, the QRS complex is caused by the depolarization of the ventricles, and the T wave is caused by the repolarization of the ventricles. There is no such thing as a Z wave.
The P wave The Q wave The R wave The R wave is much larger than any other wave. This is because the R wave represents the electrical stimulus as it passes through the main portion of the ventricular walls. The walls of ventricles are very thick due to the amount of work they have to do, and so more electricity is required.The S wave
Depolarization of the atria Depolarization of the ventricles Repolarization of the atria Repolarization of the ventricles The T wave on an ECG represents the repolarization of the ventricles. This is the phase where the ventricles recover from depolarization and prepare for the next contraction.
Blood pressure Resistance Time The horizontal axis on an ECG represents time measured in seconds. The axis is divided into small boxes, with each small box representing 0.04 seconds and five small boxes representing 0.2 seconds.Voltage
0.02 to 0.06 seconds 0.06 to 0.12 seconds 0.12 to 0.20 seconds 0.20 to 0.28 seconds
J point PR interval The PR interval measures the time between the start of atrial activity (P wave) and the start of ventricular activity (R wave). This delay gives the ventricles time to fill before they contract.QRS complex QT interval
QRS complex QT segment ST segment The ST segment on an ECG tracing is measured from the end of the S wave to the beginning of the T wave.U wave
Incorrect placement of leads Interference from another electrical device Leakage of electrical current Patient movement Somatic tremors on an ECG are caused by patient movement ("somatic" means the body and "tremor" means shaking). They are also called muscle artifacts. Common causes are shivering, anxiety, and Parkinson’s tremor.
Check for sources of electrical interference Make sure the electrodes are secure Move the bed away from the wall Remind the patient to keep still Somatic tremor artifacts are caused by patient movement. ("Somatic" means the body, and "tremor" means shaking.)
80–100 The normal duration of the QRS complex is between 0.08 and 0.10 seconds (80 and 100 milliseconds).100–120 120–140 140–160
Are all the QRS complexes of equal length? Do all QRS complexes look alike? Is the R-R pattern regular? What is the actual QRS measurement and is it within normal limits?
delayed ventricular conduction A QRS complex measuring more than 0.12 seconds most likely indicates delayed ventricular conduction.increased delay at the AV node myocardial infarction normal ventricular conduction
Atrial fibrillation Atrial flutter Multifocal atrial tachycardia PACs
Atrial fibrillation Atrial flutter Multifocal atrial tachycardia PACs
1 2 3 4
are best seen in leads V2 and V3 are larger than T waves get smaller as the heart rate slows down normally go in the opposite direction to the T wave
Determining the origin of the tachycardia Supraventricular tachycardia is an abnormally fast heart rhythm that originates in the atria. One of the primary challenges in diagnosing and managing supraventricular rhythms is identifying the specific origin of the tachycardia.Determining the regularity Determining the ventricular rate Measuring the QRS interval
15 bpm 54 bpm 90 bpm The formula to calculate heart rate is:no. of QRS complexes × 60/secs on the strip Inserting the values into the formula:= 9 × 60/6 = 9 × 10 = 90 bpm 154 bpm
First degree heart block Second degree type I Second degree type II Third degree heart block
First degree heart block Second degree type I Second degree type II Third degree heart block
congestive heart failure high cardiac output kidney failure low cardiac output
They are biphasic They are irregular They are non-existent Ventricular dysrhythmias have no P waves, so the P-P interval cannot be measured.They are regular
AV node Purkinje fibers (ventricles) SA node interatrial pathways
Atrial pacemaker rhythm Atrioventricular pacemaker Normal sinus rhythm Ventricular pacemaker
Atrial pacemaker rhythm Atrioventricular pacemaker rhythm Normal sinus rhythm Ventricular pacemaker rhythm c. Atrioventricular pacemaker
Failure to capture Failure to sense Normal sinus rhythm Oversensing
Lead I Lead III Lead V1 V1 and V2 are the most useful leads for evaluating bundle branch blocks. These chest leads detect changes in the electrical activity of the heart's ventricles. V1 is placed in the fourth intercostal space to the right of the sternum, and V2 is placed in the fourth intercostal space to the left of the sternum.Lead V4
less than 0.06 0.06 to 0.09 0.09 to 0.12 more than 0.12 Complete bundle branch block results in a QRS duration of 0.12 seconds or more.
Acceleration Speed Time Voltage The vertical axis represents the voltage of the heart's electrical activity.
P wave Q wave R wave S wave
Atrial septal defect Heart attack Right ventricular hypertrophy In right ventricular hypertrophy, the increased muscle mass of the right ventricle causes an increased signal on the ECG.Ventricular septal defect
Coins in the cardiologist's pocket Metal in the cardiologist's pocket shouldn't affect the ECG.Electrical interference from nearby equipment Loose wires Patient movement
Left arm Left leg Right arm Lead I records differences between the left and right arm electrodes, and lead II records differences between the left leg and right arm electrodes. This means that artifacts in leads I and II are probably due to problems with the right arm electrode since both leads have this electrode in common.Right leg
arsenic trioxide chlorine gas Chlorine gas is a dangerous byproduct of mixing bleach with acid. The gas is deadly in high concentrations. For this reason, bleach and acid should never be mixed.phosgene sodium cyanide
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