Certified cardiographic technician (CCT)

What is heart block and what are symptoms?

- A disorder of the conduction system of the heart which disrupts the electrical impulses which trigger a heart beat.
- Disruption of the normal electrical pathways in the heart causes a decreased heart rate
- Symptoms include fainting, blackouts, dizziness, shortness of breath, tiredness and reduced exercise tolerance, and sometimes chest pain.

What happens during diastole: the first phase of the cardiac cycle?

- The ventricles relax and fill with blood; pressure is lower in ventricles than in atrium so the valves (tricuspid and mitral) open.
- The atria contract and blood flows from the atria to the ventricles.

What about Second degree Type I Heart block?

Second Degree Type 1 heart block is diagnosed when there is an increasing delay of the AV nodal conduction, shown as a consecutive prolongation in the PR interval until a P wave fails to conduct, shown as a missing P wave.

Some treatments for sustained SVT include:

Carotid sinus massage, vagal maneuvers, cardioversion, catheter ablation, or antiarrhythmic medications. Verapamil or adenosine can be used in SVT.

What do diuretics do?

Work on the kidneys to increase urine output to remove salt and fluid from the body.

Name some common diuretics.

- Furosemide, bendroflumethiazide, spironolactone, bumetanide, eplerenone, metolazone, hydrochlorothiazide.

Give some examples of anti-coagulants?

Aspirin, ticagrelor, heparin, warfarin, clopidogrel, apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, enoxaprin.

What is myocarditis?

Inflammation of the heart muscle.

What is AC interference?

Artifact: distorted readings caused by electrical appliances near EKG machine

What are somatic tremors?

Artifact: distortions to the EKG caused by the patient shaking/shivering or muscular twitching.

What is endocarditis?

- Inflammation of the endocardium- the innermost tissue that lines the chambers of the heart the innermost tissue that lines the chambers of the heart.

What is circumflex artery?

The artery that supplies blood to the lateral portion of the heart.