1 Cardiovascular Assessment and ECG Fundamentals Free Online FlashCards

Which symptom details should a focused cardiovascular history clarify?

Clarify when the symptom began, where it is, how long it lasts, its character and severity, what changes it, and whether it is worsening.

Which symptoms can accompany a heart attack besides chest pressure?

Heart-attack symptoms may include pressure that spreads to the arm, back, neck, jaw, or stomach, as well as shortness of breath, nausea, cold sweat, or lightheadedness. Symptoms may be less typical in some people.

How should an irregular pulse be assessed?

Count the pulse for a full minute and compare it with the monitor or ECG heart rate when available.

What is the traditional sequence for listening to heart sounds?

A traditional sequence is aortic, pulmonic, Erb’s point, tricuspid, then mitral (apical) areas.

What are common resting adult reference ranges for pulse, breathing, and blood pressure?

Common resting adult references are pulse $60–100$ beats/min, respirations $12–18$ breaths/min, and blood pressure roughly $90/60$ to $120/80$ mmHg. These ranges are not universal targets or proof of health.

How many electrodes produce the views in a standard 12-lead ECG?

A standard 12-lead ECG uses $10$ electrodes to produce $12$ views of the heart’s electrical activity.

At standard ECG paper speed, how much time do small and large boxes represent?

At $25$ mm/s, one small horizontal box represents $0.04$ seconds and one large box represents $0.20$ seconds.

What electrical event does the P wave represent?

The P wave represents atrial depolarization.

What does the PR interval measure, and what is its common adult range?

The PR interval runs from the start of the P wave to the start of the QRS; a common adult range is $0.12–0.20$ seconds.

What does the QRS complex represent, and how wide is it typically?

The QRS complex represents ventricular depolarization and is typically less than $0.12$ seconds wide.

How can you estimate rate from a regular ECG rhythm?

For a regular rhythm, divide $300$ by the number of large boxes between consecutive R waves to estimate the rate in beats/min.

How can you estimate rate from an irregular ECG rhythm?

Count the QRS complexes in a $6$-second strip and multiply by $10$ for an approximate rate in beats/min.