Question

A responder is caring for a patient with a history of congestive heart failure. The patient is experiencing shortness of breath, 68/50 mmHg, heart rate 190/min. The patient's lead 2 ECG is shown. Which best characterizes this patient's rhythm?

Answer 1

The patient's ECG, coupled with their history of congestive heart failure, very high heart rate (190 bpm), and low blood pressure, likely indicates a severe form of tachycardia requiring immediate medical attention.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient's heart rhythm in the given scenario is best characterized based on their ECG reading, blood pressure, and heart rate. A heart rate of 190 beats per minute (bpm) is significantly above the normal resting range of 60-100 bpm, indicating tachycardia. Tachycardia is a condition where the heart rate exceeds 100 bpm and can be due to various reasons, such as the body's response to low blood pressure, fever, or as a compensatory mechanism to maintain cardiac output in the case of heart failure.

Lead II ECG would provide a specific pattern that could help in the diagnosis, showing the QRS complex represents ventricular depolarization and contraction. With the observed symptoms such as shortness of breath (dyspnea) and extremely low blood pressure (68/50 mmHg), and history of congestive heart failure, this information would guide the responder in determining the possible causes and urgency of the patient's condition, and in selecting appropriate interventions, which might include oxygen therapy, fluid management, and medications to improve heart function and stabilize the patient.

Answer 2

Patients) 50 yo, with a history of cardiac disease, or a heart rate) 150 are at risk for Reassess breath sounds, Et Co2 and ECG rhythm after every day