The nurse obtains a monitor strip on a patient admitted to the coronary care unit with a myocardial infarction (MI)and makes the following analysis: P wave not apparent;ventricular rate 142 beats/min,R-R interval regular;PR interval not measurable;and QRS complex wide and distorted,greater than 0.14 second.The nurse interprets this patient's cardiac rhythm as which of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The absence of P waves suggests that the patient is not in normal sinus rhythm. The wide and distorted QRS complex greater than 0.14 second suggests a ventricular origin for the rhythm. The fast ventricular rate and regular R-R interval are consistent with ventricular tachycardia. The PR interval cannot be measured because there is no identifiable P wave. Therefore, option D) is the best choice as it accurately describes the patient's rhythm.

The Nurse Obtains a Monitor Strip on a Patient Admitted