Sinus Dysrhythmia (Arrhythmia) ECG Interpretation


Description

sinus arrhythmia tracing
  • 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 ECG Practice Strip

sinus dysrhythmia tracing

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


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
  • ECG Reference Guide
    PracticalClinicalSkills.com






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