Dysrhythmias (NCLEX) ECG Strip Recognition Quiz

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

Hyperkalemia

Hypokalemia

Hypercalcemia

Hypocalcemia

2. Which ECG finding is characteristic of atrial flutter?

Sawtooth P waves

Fibrillatory waves

Delta waves

U waves

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 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

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

Atrial fibrillation

Ventricular tachycardia

Supraventricular tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia

6. 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

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

Epinephrine

Adenosine

Procainamide

Amiodarone

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

Sinus bradycardia

Pulseless ventricular tachycardia

Atrial fibrillation

First-degree AV block

12. 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

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

Aspirin

Metoprolol

Amiodarone

Lisinopril

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

Dysrhythmia Quiz: Can You Read the Strip?

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

2.

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

2. Which ECG finding is characteristic of atrial flutter?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14. 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?

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

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

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

18. 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?

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