EKG interp

[Mr. Freeze]

Can one of you high speed medics differentiate for me between sinus exit block and sinus arrest? I think the publisher of my textbook made an error, and it's description is horrible. (After further research on the www I think I am much closer to an understanding than my book could provide...if the p-p interval is disturbed it is arrest, if not it is a block or pause? and if it is disturbed but the pause is shorter than 2 p-p or r-r intervals it's only an arrhythmia?)

[This message has been edited by Mr. Freeze (edited 11-10-2000).]

[benson911]

huh?

What's the difference in treatment?

Does it matter if they're different if you treat them the same?

The last Cardiology class I had was several years ago and I don't ever remember hearing the term sinus exit block...is that 1st degree heart block, junctional escape, ventricular escape? What is it? Is it a p wave without ventricular response?

If I recall correctly, no looking at a book to cheat, isn't Sinus arrest just a loss of the sinus node starting the heart beat? In other words, a skipped beat? Thus, no p wave?

Lastly, don't healthy, athletic, young humans skip beats all the time? If it's not a problem, it's not important to you, the Medic in the field. It may be important to the Cardiologist, so note it and treat the patient, not the monitor.

[ME93]

Brother, not to slam you or nothin', but like benson I really don't think it matters.

However, I did wipe the dust of one of my books and looked it up. The only difference that the book could point out (it seems like we are looking at the same book) is in a sinus exit block typically the normal p wave does not pick up on the normal time. Basically meaning in sinus arrest the electrical impulse is not generated by the SA. In SA exit block the impulse is generated by the SA but not allowed to enter the atria.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it and just treat the patient for their signs and symptoms, not what the monitor says.