Question

Using the 1500 method, determine the patient's heart rate from the EKG tracing. Hint- *Count all of the small boxes between the R-R and divide that number by 1500*.

Answer 1

The '1500 method' for determining heart rate from an EKG involves counting the number of small squares between R-R intervals and dividing 1500 by that number to get the heart rate in beats per minute.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine a patient's heart rate from an EKG tracing using the '1500 method', follow these steps:

1. Identify the R waves on the EKG, which are the upward spikes associated with ventricular depolarization.
2. Count the number of small squares between two consecutive R waves (R-R interval).
3. Divide 1500 by the number of small squares counted to obtain the heart rate in beats per minute (bpm).

For example, if there are 25 small squares between two R waves, you would calculate the heart rate as follows:
Heart Rate = 1500 / 25 = 60 bpm

This method assumes a constant time between beats and a standard EKG paper speed of 25 mm/s, with each small square representing 0.04 seconds.