How do you calculate heart rate from a six-second telemetry strip?

• A. Count the number of QRS complexes in 6 seconds and multiply by 10
• B. Multiply the number of QRS by 6
• C. Count QRS in 60 seconds and multiply by 1
• D. Divide the count of QRS by 6

Answer: (C)

Estimating heart rate from a six‑second telemetry strip relies on scaling a short snapshot to a per‑minute value. Count how many QRS complexes appear in those six seconds, then multiply by 10 to convert to beats per minute. The idea is that six seconds is one-tenth of a minute, so each heartbeat seen in that window represents ten beats in a full minute. For example, if you see 7 QRS complexes in six seconds, the estimated heart rate is about 70 bpm. This method gives a quick, practical estimate when you don’t have a full minute of tracing. If you had a complete sixty‑second strip instead, you’d simply count the QRS complexes there and use that count directly as the bpm. Note that this six‑second method is an estimate and can be less precise if the rhythm is irregular, in which case a longer observation improves accuracy.