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Step 2 - Heart Rate Regular - Course # 318-4
Regular Rhythms
- If the rhythm varies by less than two small boxes, then the rhythm is considered regular.
- The heart rate determination technique used will be the 1500 technique.
- Starting at the beginning of the tracing through the end, measure from one R wave to the next R wave (ventricular assessment), then P wave to P wave (atrial assessment), then count the number of small boxes between each and divide that number into 1500.
- This technique will give you the most accurate heart rate when analyzing regular heart rhythms. You may include ½ of a small box i.e. 37.5/1500 = 40 bpm (don’t forget to round up or down if a portion of a beat is included in the answer).
Irregular Rhythms
- If the rhythm varies by two small boxes or more, the rhythm is considered “irregular”.
- The heart rate determination technique used for irregular rhythms will be the “six-second technique”.
- Simply count the number of complete cardiac complexes in six seconds and multiply by ten.
How to use this module.
This module is organized into a series of lessons. These lessons are listed on the right side of the content area. To navigate to a lesson, either
click on the lesson name or use the arrows at the bottom right. Each lesson contains several slides. These slides are lists with tabs
that appear above each slide. To navigate to a slide, either click on the tab or use the gray arrows that appear on the left and right sides of the slides.
Within the lesson are questions. These questions are used to reinforce key concepts, but they are not used for scoring or grading. After
completing this module, we encourage you to use our drills and quizzes to practice what you have learned. Finally, after completing most or all of
the modules, you might try our EKG Graded Quizzes to test your knowledge.
Our affiliated website, Practical Clinical Skills, provides additional drills and quizzes with certifcates of achievement. If you have an account, then your signin name and password will
work on that website as well. Click here for EKG contents and apps at Practical Clinical Skills.
318 Step 2 - Heart Rate Regular - Course # 318-4