Question

A nurse on a telemetry unit is caring for a patient who has an irregular radial pulse. Which of the following ECG abnormalities should the nurse recognize as atrial flutter?

A) Absence of P-waves
B) Sawtooth pattern of atrial activity
C) Chaotic, irregular QRS complexes
D) Prolonged PR interval

Answer 1

A nurse should recognize a sawtooth pattern of atrial activity as atrial flutter.

Step-by-step explanation:

A nurse on a telemetry unit should recognize a sawtooth pattern of atrial activity as atrial flutter on an ECG. Atrial flutter is characterized by a rapid and regular atrial rhythm, with the atrial rate being much faster than the ventricular rate. The P-waves are replaced by F-waves, which are small, rapid atrial fibrillatory waves that give the ECG tracing a characteristic sawtooth appearance.