The patient has an irregular heart rhythm.To determine an accurate heart rate,the nurse would first
A) identify the markers on the ECG paper that indicate a 6-second strip.
B) count the number of small boxes between two consecutive P waves.
C) count the number of small boxes between two consecutive QRS complexes.
D) divides the number of complexes in a 6-second strip by 10.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The optimal method of determining a heart rate from an ECG strip when the patient has an irregular heart rate is to count the number of P waves or QRS waves within a 6-second strip to obtain both atrial and ventricular heart rates per minute.In order to do this accurately,the nurse first much identify the markers on the ECG paper that indicate a 6-second strip.The other methods are not as accurate with an irregular heart rate.

The Patient Has an Irregular Heart Rhythm