TODAY, we are starting a new feature on the ECG GURU. ECG BASICS will provide rhythm strips and 12-leads for your beginner or refresher students. It can be discouraging to the entry-level student to see only intermediate or advanced material and not understand it. We must remember to start at the most elementary concepts, and then build on them, just as we do with any other subject. Even more advanced students sometimes benefit from a return to the "basics". In this weekly feature, you will find downloadable content that is, like all ECG Guru content, FREE for use in an educational context. Please let us know in the "Comments" section below what ECGs, rhythm strips, or illustrations you would like to see featured in this new area.
Today's strip: Sinus bradycardia with first-degree AV block. The rate is in the 30's and slowing, and the PR interval is .26 seconds.
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Comments
Sinus Brady, Arrhythmia, 1st Degree for ANY Audience!
One of the inherent "beautiful aspects" of ECG interpretation is that so many rhythms can be equally applicable to the beginning, intermediate and advanced student. Adding to the challenge for many instructors is that the audience will often contain varying levels of ECG experience among those in attendance - so the instructor may need to speak on more than one level.
Dawn presented "the basics" of this rhythm strip - namely that there is marked sinus bradycardia and 1st degree AV block. If one's audience consisted primarily of less experienced interpreters - that might be as far as one goes (with notable ADDITION of the obvious variability in R-R interval that clearly satisfies a diagnosis of "sinus bradycardia and arrhythmia" ).
But IF more experienced providers were among your audience - there are number of additional important concepts that you might emphasize. These include:
Enough said! There is a LOT of material on this tracing that one might explore depending on the interpretation experience of your audience.
Ken Grauer, MD www.kg-ekgpress.com [email protected]