Electrical Conduction & EKG
The electrical recording process itself — not the tracing — is called this.
What is electrocardiography?
The medical assistant must follow these when handling urgent walk-in or phone triage situations.
What are facility screening protocols?
Painful muscle spasms during intense heat exposure are called this.
What are heat cramps?
This phase of the heartbeat refers to contraction and blood ejection.
What is systole?
Bluish discoloration of the skin due to low oxygen levels is called this.
What is cyanosis?
This flat portion of the ECG occurs between the end of the P wave and the start of the QRS complex.
What is the PR segment?
This medication stimulates the liver to release stored glucose into the bloodstream.
What is glucagon?
A burn affecting only the outer skin layer is classified as this.
What is a first-degree burn?
The valve between the left atrium and left ventricle is this.
What is the mitral (bicuspid) valve?
An abnormally slow heart rate is known as this.
What is bradycardia?
The resting state of cardiac cells, when they are ready for the next impulse, is called this.
What is the polarized state?
In cases of anaphylaxis, this medication is given intramuscularly in the thigh for the fastest absorption.
What is epinephrine?
Before treating cold exposure, this important question helps determine severity.
What is “How long was the person exposed?”
Almost all veins carry deoxygenated blood except these.
What are pulmonary veins?
The lungs eliminate this waste gas from the bloodstream.
What is carbon dioxide?
An upward spike above the baseline on ECG paper is known as this type of deflection.
What is a positive deflection?
This emergency occurs when the body produces ketones due to severe insulin deficiency.
What is diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)?
Deep, contaminated animal bites increase the risk for this viral disease.
What is rabies?
Blood pumped from the left ventricle to the body begins this type of circulation.
What is systemic circulation?
The upper receiving chambers of the heart are called these.
What are the atria?
The standard sensitivity setting that equals 1 mV is this.
What is 10 mm per mV?
If an AED detects a shockable rhythm, it provides these to guide the rescuer.
What are audible/voice instructions?
Confusion, dizziness, and double vision may indicate this emergency involving toxic substances.
What is poisoning?
This chamber of the heart pumps blood directly to the lungs.
What is the right ventricle?
Poor skin preparation during ECG setup can cause this drifting waveform problem.
What is a wandering baseline?