A nurse is caring for a patient on a cardiac monitor and whose rhythm suddenly changes. There are no P waves; instead she observes wavy lines. The QRS complexes measure 0.08 second and are irregular
The patient's heart rate is 120 beats/minute. The nurse interprets that this rhythm is:
A) Sinus tachycardia
B) Atrial fibrillation
C) Ventricular tachycardia
D) Ventricular fibrillation
Ans: B
Feedback: Atrial fibrillation is seen as a loss of P waves with a wavy baseline. QRS can be normal, but the heart rate ranges from 100 to 160 beats/min.
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