Rhythm InterpretationQuestion 4 of 100
A patient has an irregular rhythm. The technician counts 11 QRS complexes in a six-second strip. What is the approximate heart rate?
a.11 beats per minute
b.22 beats per minute
c.66 beats per minute
d.110 beats per minute
Explanation
The six-second method multiplies the number of QRS complexes in six seconds by 10, giving 11 times 10, or about 110 beats per minute. This estimate is the preferred method for irregular rhythms because the 300 and 1500 methods assume equal R-R intervals. Multiplying by 2 or 6 instead of 10 gives the wrong scaling, since six seconds is one tenth of a minute.
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Related questions on this topic
- A technician measures the distance from the beginning of the P wave to the beginning of the QRS complex on a strip and counts four small boxes. What is the PR interval, and is it normal?
- What is the normal duration of the QRS complex in an adult?
- Using the 300 method on a regular rhythm, a technician counts four large boxes between two consecutive R waves. What is the heart rate?
- What electrical event does the P wave represent on an EKG tracing?
- A technician is explaining a tracing to a student and points to the rounded wave that follows each QRS complex. What does this wave represent?
- Using the 1500 method, a technician counts 20 small boxes between two consecutive R waves on a regular strip. What is the heart rate?
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