Dysrhythmias (NCLEX) ECG Strip Recognition Quiz

1. Which ECG finding is characteristic of atrial flutter?

Sawtooth P waves

Fibrillatory waves

Delta waves

U waves

2. A patient's monitor shows a regular rhythm with a rate of 45 bpm and a normal QRS complex. What dysrhythmia is this?

Sinus bradycardia

Atrial fibrillation

Ventricular tachycardia

Premature atrial contraction

3. A patient with atrial fibrillation has a ventricular rate of 140 bpm and is hemodynamically unstable. What is the priority intervention?

Administer digoxin

Prepare for synchronized cardioversion

Start amiodarone infusion

Monitor closely and reassess in 10 minutes

4. A patient has a heart rate of 58 bpm with a normal rhythm and normal PR interval. What is the most appropriate nursing action?

Notify the provider immediately

Assess patient symptoms and vital signs

Prepare atropine injection

Start transcutaneous pacing

5. A patient in complete heart block has a ventricular rate of 30 bpm. What is the appropriate nursing intervention?

Administer atropine IV

Prepare for temporary pacemaker insertion

Start dopamine infusion

All of the above are appropriate

6. Which dysrhythmia would produce a QRS duration of 0.16 seconds or greater?

Atrial fibrillation

Ventricular tachycardia

Supraventricular tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia

7. In second-degree AV block type II, what ECG finding is characteristic?

Progressive PR prolongation until a beat is dropped

Fixed PR interval with random dropped beats

All P waves are conducted

Complete absence of P waves

8. What is the expected ventricular response rate in atrial flutter with a 2:1 conduction ratio?

60-80 bpm

80-100 bpm

120-150 bpm

180-200 bpm

9. A patient's ECG shows a rhythm that is irregular with a rate of 90 bpm and no visible P waves. What dysrhythmia should be suspected?

Sinus arrhythmia

Atrial fibrillation

Junctional rhythm

Wandering atrial pacemaker

10. A patient has a PR interval of 0.24 seconds on the ECG. What conduction abnormality does this indicate?

First-degree AV block

Second-degree AV block type I

Second-degree AV block type II

Third-degree AV block

11. Which electrolyte imbalance is most commonly associated with torsades de pointes?

Hyperkalemia

Hypokalemia

Hypercalcemia

Hypocalcemia

12. A patient's ECG shows a short PR interval and a delta wave. What condition does this represent?

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

Long QT syndrome

Brugada syndrome

Short QT syndrome

13. Which medication is the first-line treatment for stable supraventricular tachycardia?

Epinephrine

Adenosine

Procainamide

Amiodarone

14. A patient presents with a regular rhythm and a rate of 160 bpm. The QRS complex is wide and bizarre. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Atrial tachycardia

Ventricular tachycardia

Supraventricular tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia

15. A patient is found to have a prolonged QT interval. What medication should be avoided?

Aspirin

Metoprolol

Amiodarone

Lisinopril

16. Which dysrhythmia is most likely to deteriorate into ventricular fibrillation?

Sinus bradycardia

Pulseless ventricular tachycardia

Atrial fibrillation

First-degree AV block

17. A patient presents with runs of three or more consecutive PVCs at a rate greater than 100 bpm. What is this called?

Bigeminy

Trigeminy

Ventricular tachycardia

Multifocal PVCs

18. Which dysrhythmia is characterized by an irregular rhythm with no discernible P waves and a rapid ventricular rate of 120-180 bpm?

Atrial flutter

Atrial fibrillation

Supraventricular tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia

19. A premature ventricular contraction (PVC) occurs early and is followed by a compensatory pause. What causes this pause?

Depolarization of the sinus node

The sinus node is reset by the PVC

AV block occurs after the PVC

The ventricle is refractory

Dysrhythmia Quiz: Can You Read the Strip?

1. Which ECG finding is characteristic of atrial flutter?

2.

What first name or nickname would you like us to use?

2. A patient's monitor shows a regular rhythm with a rate of 45 bpm and a normal QRS complex. What dysrhythmia is this?

3. A patient with atrial fibrillation has a ventricular rate of 140 bpm and is hemodynamically unstable. What is the priority intervention?

4. A patient has a heart rate of 58 bpm with a normal rhythm and normal PR interval. What is the most appropriate nursing action?

5. A patient in complete heart block has a ventricular rate of 30 bpm. What is the appropriate nursing intervention?

6. Which dysrhythmia would produce a QRS duration of 0.16 seconds or greater?

7. In second-degree AV block type II, what ECG finding is characteristic?

8. What is the expected ventricular response rate in atrial flutter with a 2:1 conduction ratio?

9. A patient's ECG shows a rhythm that is irregular with a rate of 90 bpm and no visible P waves. What dysrhythmia should be suspected?

10. A patient has a PR interval of 0.24 seconds on the ECG. What conduction abnormality does this indicate?

11. Which electrolyte imbalance is most commonly associated with torsades de pointes?

12. A patient's ECG shows a short PR interval and a delta wave. What condition does this represent?

13. Which medication is the first-line treatment for stable supraventricular tachycardia?

14. A patient presents with a regular rhythm and a rate of 160 bpm. The QRS complex is wide and bizarre. What is the most likely diagnosis?

15. A patient is found to have a prolonged QT interval. What medication should be avoided?

16. Which dysrhythmia is most likely to deteriorate into ventricular fibrillation?

17. A patient presents with runs of three or more consecutive PVCs at a rate greater than 100 bpm. What is this called?

18. Which dysrhythmia is characterized by an irregular rhythm with no discernible P waves and a rapid ventricular rate of 120-180 bpm?

19. A premature ventricular contraction (PVC) occurs early and is followed by a compensatory pause. What causes this pause?