Sinus Tachycardia is best described as which rhythm?

Study for the Cardiac HealthStream Telemetry Exam. Dive into detailed flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with helpful hints and explanations. Prepare thoroughly for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Sinus Tachycardia is best described as which rhythm?

Explanation:
Sinus tachycardia is a fast but regular rhythm that keeps the normal electrical pathway starting from the sinus node. On the ECG you’ll see a P wave before every QRS complex, a normal PR interval, and a narrow QRS, but the rate is above 100 beats per minute. This means it’s the same sinus rhythm as normal heartbeats, just faster, rather than a rhythm arising from another part of the heart or with abnormal conduction. This distinguishes it from atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response, which would show no discrete P waves and an irregular rhythm; from ventricular tachycardia, which usually has wide, abnormal QRS complexes; and from torsades de pointes, which is a polymorphic VT with twisting QRS morphology.

Sinus tachycardia is a fast but regular rhythm that keeps the normal electrical pathway starting from the sinus node. On the ECG you’ll see a P wave before every QRS complex, a normal PR interval, and a narrow QRS, but the rate is above 100 beats per minute. This means it’s the same sinus rhythm as normal heartbeats, just faster, rather than a rhythm arising from another part of the heart or with abnormal conduction.

This distinguishes it from atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response, which would show no discrete P waves and an irregular rhythm; from ventricular tachycardia, which usually has wide, abnormal QRS complexes; and from torsades de pointes, which is a polymorphic VT with twisting QRS morphology.

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