Deck 8: Rhythms Originating in the Atria

Question 1

Which of these statements about how sinus arrhythmia differs from wandering atrial pacemaker is true?

A)Sinus arrhythmia has uniform P wave shapes;wandering atrial pacemaker has at least three different shaped P waves.
B)Sinus arrhythmia has a regular rhythm;wandering atrial pacemaker is irregular.
C)Sinus arrhythmia has a heart rate of less than 100;wandering atrial pacemaker has a rate greater than 100.
D)Sinus arrhythmia is lethal;wandering atrial pacemaker is benign.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The rhythm in Figure 7 is

A)Sinus rhythm with a sinus arrest and a junctional escape beat.
B)Sinus arrhythmia.
C)Sinus rhythm with a nonconducted PAC.
D)Wandering atrial pacemaker.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

SVT stands for

A)Sinus ventricular tachycardia.
B)Supraventricular tension.
C)Sinus valvular tachycardia.
D)Supraventricular tachycardia.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

A PAC often deforms the shape of the

A)QRS.
B)Preceding T wave.
C)Preceding U wave.
D)Following T wave.

Question 5

Atrial flutter has an atrial rate

A)Between 60 and 100.
B)Greater than 100.
C)Between 40 and 60.
D)Between 250 and 350.

Question 6

Blood clots collecting in the atria are a possible complication of what rhythm?

A)Atrial tachycardia
B)PACs
C)Sinus tachycardia
D)Atrial fibrillation

Question 7

A PAC is a

A)Premature beat from the sinus node.
B)Late beat from the atria.
C)Premature beat from the ventricle.
D)Premature beat from the atrium.

Question 8

A regular rhythm with narrow QRS complexes,indistinguishable P waves,and a heart rate of 155 would be consistent with

A)Atrial fibrillation.
B)Supraventricular tachycardia.
C)Sinus bradycardia.
D)Ventricular tachycardia.

Question 9

Frequent PACs can be a sign of impending

A)Heart failure.
B)Sinus arrest.
C)Respiratory failure.
D)Cardiac arrest.

Question 10

The most common cause of an unexplained pause is a(n)

A)Nonconducted PAC.
B)Sinus arrest.
C)Sinus block.
D)Atrial tachycardia.

Question 11

Which statement is true regarding P waves in atrial flutter?

A)There are no P waves-they're called flutter waves.
B)The P waves are all tall and pointy.
C)P waves change shape constantly.
D)P waves have an atrial rate of about 100.

Question 12

Wandering atrial pacemaker has at least three different shapes of

A)T waves.
B)QRS complexes.
C)P waves.
D)U waves.

Question 13

The difference between wandering atrial pacemaker and multifocal atrial tachycardia is

A)Wandering atrial pacemaker has a faster heart rate.
B)Multifocal atrial tachycardia has a faster heart rate.
C)Wandering atrial pacemaker has uniform shape P waves;multifocal atrial tachycardia has P waves of at least three different shapes.
D)Wandering atrial pacemaker has only two different shape P waves;multifocal atrial tachycardia has at least five different shaped P waves.

Question 14

The rhythm most often associated with chronic lung disease is

A)Atrial fibrillation.
B)SVT.
C)Sinus arrhythmia.
D)Multifocal atrial tachycardia.

Question 15

Atrial flutter is characterized by

A)P waves of varying shapes and regularly spaced QRS complexes.
B)Irregularly irregular pattern of QRS complexes.
C)Regularly spaced V-shaped waves.
D)A run of six or more PACs in a row.

Question 16

Atrial fibrillation has

A)P waves of multiple shapes.
B)P waves with uniform shape.
C)No P waves at all.
D)Sawtooth-shaped waves between the QRS complexes.

Question 17

Atrial fibrillation is characterized by what kind of P waves?

A)No P waves at all
B)P waves of uniform shape
C)Varying shapes of P waves
D)Tall,pointy P waves following the QRS complexes

Question 18

Atrial tachycardia is characterized by

A)Abnormal P waves preceding the regular QRS complexes.
B)Sawtooth waves between the QRS complexes.
C)Undulating,fibrillatory baseline between the irregular QRS complexes.
D)A heart rate of 250-350.

Question 19

Paroxysmal means

A)Starting and stopping suddenly.
B)Life-threatening.
C)Premature.
D)Prolonged.

Question 20

In Figure 6,the rhythm is

A)Sinus rhythm.
B)Atrial fibrillation.
C)Atrial flutter.
D)SVT.

Question 21

Wandering atrial pacemaker is a medical emergency.

Question 22

In SVT,the heart rate must be greater than 180.

Question 23

An ectopic rhythm is one which originates in a location other than the sinus node.

Question 24

Atrial fibrillation is an ectopic rhythm.

Question 25

Flutter waves are often described as sawtooth- or picket-fence-shaped waves.

Question 26

Atrial fibrillation is

A)Regular.
B)Irregular.
C)Regular but interrupted by premature beats.
D)Regular but interrupted by pauses.

Question 27

Atrial fibrillation can cause a drop in cardiac output because it causes

A)A loss of the atrial kick.
B)The ventricles to contract more forcefully.
C)The AV valves to remain open too long.
D)The sinus node to fire more often.

Question 28

Treatment of atrial fibrillation could include such medications as

A)Digitalis.
B)Calcium channel blockers.
C)Amiodarone.
D)All the above.

Question 29

Multifocal atrial tachycardia is an irregular rhythm with a heart rate greater than 100.

Question 30

PACs are premature beats from the sinus node.

Question 31

In atrial flutter,the flutter waves are regular.

Question 32

Both wandering atrial pacemaker and multifocal atrial tachycardia have at least three different shapes of P waves.

Question 33

Blood clots in the atria are associated with atrial fibrillation.

Question 34

In SVT,the QRS complexes are regular.

Question 35

Atrial tachycardia is always accompanied by symptoms of decreased cardiac output.

Question 36

Atrial fibrillation causes the atria to

A)Contract forcefully.
B)Expel the blood backwards.
C)Wiggle instead of contract.
D)Depolarize as a unit.

Question 37

In atrial fibrillation of less than 48 hours duration,anticoagulant therapy is indicated before attempting to convert the rhythm back to sinus rhythm.

Question 38

Nonconducted PACs do not conduct through to the ventricles.

Question 39

Atrial fibrillation is routinely a reason to begin CPR.

Question 40

Atrial flutter is almost always seen in patients with

A)Thyrotoxicosis.
B)Acute heart attacks.
C)Heart disease.
D)Cardiac arrest.

Question 41

The most common cause of an unexplained pause is a _____.

Question 42

Multifocal atrial tachycardia is the same rhythm as _____,but with a faster heart rate.

Question 43

The P wave of a PAC is shaped _____from sinus P waves.

Question 44

In order to diagnose PAT,the _____ that initiates it must be seen.

Question 45

The atrial rate in atrial flutter is _____.

Question 46

The atrial rate in atrial tachycardia is _____.

Question 47

Wandering atrial pacemaker has at least _____ different shapes of P waves.

Question 48

A run of three or more PACs in a row that usurps the underlying rhythm is called _____.

Question 49

Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia is an atrial tachycardia that usurps the underlying _____.