A 63-year-old male client has been diagnosed with a bundle branch block. How will this client's care team most likely expect his condition to be expressed diagnostically?
A) His AV node will be performing the primary pacemaker role due to inadequacy of the SA node.
B) His ECG will show a flattened P wave as a result of impaired atrial depolarization.
C) Conduction from the Purkinje fibers to the bundle branches is compromised by inadequate conduction.
D) His ECG will show an inordinately wide QRS complex because impulses are bypassing the normal conduction tissue.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Because impulses must pass through muscle tissue rather than specialized conduction tissue, the client's QRS complex will be wide. His SA node is unlikely to be defective, and the client's P wave is not likely to be abnormal on an ECG. Conduction takes place from the bundle branches to the Purkinje fibers rather than vice versa.

A 63-Year-Old Male Client Has Been Diagnosed with a Bundle