Page 62 - AACN Essentials of Critical-Care Nursing Pocket Handbook, Second Edition

Eliminate underlying cause. Drug therapy is not usually amiodarone, procainamide,

Treatment used, but, if desired, lidocaine, beta-blockers may be effective. 49

• •

Cardiac Rhythms, ECG Characteristics, and Treatment Guide (continued)
Rate: 60-100 beats/min or the rate of the basic rhythm. Rhythm: Irregular because of the early beats. to precede a PVC, the PR interval is short. resulting in inverted P waves following the PVC.
ECG Characteristics P waves: Not related to the PVCs. Sinus rhythm is usually not interrupted by the premature beats, so sinus P waves can often be seen occurring regularly PR interval: Not present before most PVCs. If a P wave happens, by coinci

• • • throughout the rhythm. • • •

Rhythm Premature ventricular
complexes
3.12