Question

The nurse takes a preoperative ECG on a 48-year-old patient. She notices that there is a longer than normal distance between right ventricular depolarization and repolarization. She documents the strip finding and notifies the surgeon. Her conclusion was based on an abnormality in which of the following?

1) ST segment
2) TP interval
3) QT interval
4) QRS complex

Answer 1

The abnormality the nurse observed on the ECG that indicated a longer than normal distance between ventricular depolarization and repolarization is an elongated QT interval, which can indicate risks for ventricular arrhythmias.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the nurse observes a longer than normal distance between right ventricular depolarization and repolarization on an ECG, she is referring to an abnormality in the QT interval. The QT interval represents the time from the beginning of ventricular depolarization to the end of ventricular repolarization. An elongation of the QT interval signifies that the heart's electrical system takes longer than normal to recharge between beats, which could indicate a risk for ventricular arrhythmias. The QRS complex refers to the depolarization of the ventricles and would not directly relate to the length of time between depolarization and repolarization.