The New York State Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

This course has been awarded 1.5 contact hours.

Electrocardiograms Made Easy! is a series of three courses comprised of: Basic EKG Interpretations, Interpreting Abnormal Atrial Rhythms, and Interpreting Ventricular Dysrhythmias.

Part II. Interpreting Abnormal Atrial Rhythms (the second course in the series) will move beyond the concepts learned in Electrocardiograms Made Easy! – Part I. Basic EKG Interpretations. In achieving this we will advance the concepts related to electrical physiology and the electrocardiogram, focusing on different rhythm presentations, and the mechanical and electrical process involved. To achieve this, the pathophysiology behind differing dysrhythmias will be presented, allowing conceptualization of the mechanical/electrical processes occurring in the dysfunctional cardiac cycle. This assumes that the learner is competent in the basic electrocardiogram principles. If needed please refer to the first course in this series.

Cardiovascular disease is composed of heart disease and cerebrovascular accidents (strokes).  Respectively they are the leading and third leading cause of death in the United States.  Together they account for the death of more than 1.3 million Americans each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], n.d.).  More broadly, 80 million Americans (almost one third of the population) suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease (CDC, n.d.).  With tightening purse strings, the impact of cardiovascular diseases on healthcare resources is astounding.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in 2008 the cost of cardiovascular disease to the economy was over $448 billion (CDC, n.d.).  So what does this mean to me?

As active participants in healthcare you will undoubtedly come in contact with the one in four Americans who have cardiovascular disease. This contact may be in any setting: from an emergency department, surgical ward, rehabilitation, or your own family home. So it is important to be familiar with and understand the basics of one of the easiest, most cost-effective, non-invasive tests performed to assess cardiac function: the electrocardiogram (EKG). It is important to be able to interpret electrocardiograms in order for the skilled registered nurse to initiate timely interventions.

This course will describe atrial dysrhythmias. It is built on the knowledge gained from the previous Basic EKG Interpretations course. The dysrhythmias discussed result from various abnormalities in the conduction of electrical impulses around the AV node or above. Deciphering the P wave on the EKG strip is the clue for determining the possible problems with the electrical/mechanical conduction.

Content Outline

• Advancing Electro Physiology
• Essentials Review
• Introduction to dysrhythmias
• Atrial dysrhythmias etiology
• Atrial dysrhythmias
  1. Sinus Bradycardia
  2. Sinus Tachycardia
  3. Supraventricular Tachycardia
  4. Atrial Fibrillation
  5. Atrial Flutter
  6. Junctional Rhythm
  7. Accelerated Junctional Rhythm
• Summary

Course Objectives

Upon the completion of this course the learner will be able to:

• Identify the most common dysrhythmias originating from the atrium
• Differentiate the characteristics of the three pace makers
• Identify a heart rate site of impulse stimulus