Advanced - Dysrhythmias | Questions with 100% Correct Answers | Verified | Updated 2024

Excitability - Answer- the ability of non-pacemaker heart cells to respond to an electrical impulse that begins in pacemaker cells. Depolarization - Answer- occurs when the normally negatively charged cells within the heart muscle develop a positive charge. Conductivity - Answer- the ability to send an electrical stimulus from cell membrane to cell membrane. As a result, excitable cells depolarize in rapid succession from cell to cell until all cells have depolarized. Ex: the wave of depolarization causes the deflections in the ECG waveforms that are recognized as the P wave and QRS complex. Contractility - Answer- the ability of atrial and ventricular muscle cells to shorten their fiber length in response to electrical stimulation, causing sufficient pressure to push blood forward through the heart. In other words, this is the mechanical activity of the heart. AV Node - Answer- where impulses slow down or are delayed before proceeding to the ventricles. This delay is reflected in the PR segment on the ECG. This slow conduction provides a short delay, allowing the atria to contract and the ventricles to fill. SA Node - Answer- the heart's primary pacemaker. It can spontaneously and rhythmically generate electrical impulses at a rate of 60-100 beats per min and therefore has the greatest degree of automaticity. Purkinje Cells - Answer- composed of the bundle of HIS, bundle branches, and these fibers. Responsible for the rapid conduction of electrical impulses throughout the ventricles, leading to ventricular depolarization and the subsequent ventricular muscle contraction. Semi-Reclined - Answer- While obtaining a 12-lead ECG, remind the patient be as as still as possible in a ________________________ position, breathing normally. Clea, Dry, Moist - Answer- For continous ECG monitoring, be sure to __________________ skin and clip hairs/shave. Ensure that the electrode placement is _____________ and the gel on each electrode is ______________ and fresh. P Wave - Answer- a deflection on an ECG representing atrial depolarization. When the electrical impulse is consistently generated form the SA node, this wave has a consistent shape in a given lead. If an impulse is then generated from a different (ectopic) focus, such as atrial tissue, the shape of this wave changes in the lead, ind