Sinus Dysrhythmia (Arrhythmia) - Sinus Rhythms
Description
- Sinus Dysrhythmia often occurs as a normal variant. It is commonly seen in young healthy people and athletes. It is frequently related to breathing and pressure on the vagus nerve. As the patient inhales and the lungs expand, pressure is applied to the vagus nerve which causes a parasympathetic response and a decrease in heart rate.
- Sinus Dysrhythmia ECGs may also occur as a result of medication effects or diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
- This dysrhythmia often requires no treatment, but may require medication or therapy such as a pacemaker to regulate the heart rate if the ventricular response becomes too slow.
- Sinus Dysrhythmia closely resembles Normal Sinus Rhythm with the only distinction being the intervals from one cardiac complex to the next are changing as influenced by the patients respiratory pattern.
- Note the changing R to R Intervals.
Sinus Dysrhythmia EKG Practice Strip
Analyze this tracing using the five steps of rhythm analysis.
Show Answer
- Rhythm: Irregular
- Rate: 60 bpm
- P wave: upright and uniform
- PR interval: 0.16 sec
- QRS: 0.10 sec
- Interpretation: Sinus Dysrhythmia
Authors and Sources
Authors and Reviewers
- EKG heart rhythm modules: Thomas O'Brien.
- EKG monitor simulation developer: Steve Collmann
-
12 Lead Course: Dr. Michael Mazzini, MD.
- Spanish language EKG: Breena R. Taira, MD, MPH
- Medical review: Dr. Jonathan Keroes, MD
- Medical review: Dr. Pedro Azevedo, MD, Cardiology
- Last Update: 11/8/2021
Sources
-
Electrocardiography for Healthcare Professionals, 6th Edition
Kathryn Booth and Thomas O'Brien
ISBN10: 1265013470, ISBN13: 9781265013479
McGraw Hill, 2023 -
Rapid Interpretation of EKG's, Sixth Edition
Dale Dublin
Cover Publishing Company -
EKG Reference Guide
EKG.Academy -
12 Lead EKG for Nurses: Simple Steps to Interpret Rhythms, Arrhythmias, Blocks, Hypertrophy, Infarcts, & Cardiac Drugs
Aaron Reed
Create Space Independent Publishing -
Heart Sounds and Murmurs: A Practical Guide with Audio CD-ROM 3rd Edition
Elsevier-Health Sciences Division
Barbara A. Erickson, PhD, RN, CCRN -
The Virtual Cardiac Patient: A Multimedia Guide to Heart Sounds, Murmurs, EKG
Jonathan Keroes, David Lieberman
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkin)
ISBN-10: 0781784425; ISBN-13: 978-0781784429 - Project Semilla, UCLA Emergency Medicine, EKG Training Breena R. Taira, MD, MPH
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ECG Reference Guide
PracticalClinicalSkills.com
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