The EKG (ECG) Graph
Included In This Lesson
Study Tools For The EKG (ECG) Graph
Outline
Overview of the EKG Graph
- The EKG graph represents the electrical conduction of the heart
- Assists with identifying heart rate and rhythm
Nursing Points for EKG Graphs
General EKG information
- EKG graph
- Y-axis – Vertical
- Voltage
- 1 large box
- 0.5mV
- X-axis -Horizontal
- Time in seconds
- Large box
- 0.20 Seconds
- Smaller boxes
- 0.04 seconds
- Markings
- Top of graph paper
- 3 seconds apart
- Y-axis – Vertical
Common Nursing Concepts for EKG Graphs
- EKG Rhythms
Transcript
Hey guys in this lesson we are going to break down the EKG graph paper
Ok so here we have an EKG graph, we have our Y axis which is the vertical line and it measures the voltage. One large box is 0.5 millivolts. This is important when measuring the amplitude of the waveforms, especially when there is an elevation that should not be there, like in a STEMI. We also have our X axis which is the horizontal line and it measures time in seconds. As you can see, there are big boxes and in each big box there are 5 small boxes. The big box is 0.20 seconds and the smaller one is 0.04 seconds. So let’s break that down a little more!
So here is a big box, again from here to here is 0.20 seconds, if you look at these smaller boxes, they are each 0.04 seconds. There are 5 small boxes in 1 big box. If you multiply each box that is 0.04 seconds by 5 it equals 0.20 seconds. The seconds in these boxes are important when you have to identify how long it takes for one waveform to get to the other. At the top of this paper, you will also see these markings, these markings are usually every 3 seconds but in this particular graph they are every second, the markings are not always there. So if you have an EKG paper that does not have the markings at the top just know that 5 large boxes is 1 second, 15 boxes are 3 and 30 boxes are 6 seconds. So knowing that will help you identify if you are looking at a 6 second strip.
So the key points to remember are the Y- axis is the vertical line and it measures voltage, basically how high are the waveforms getting. The x-axis is the horizontal line which measures seconds. The large boxes have 5 smaller boxes in them, the large box is 0.20 seconds and the Small boxes are 0.04 seconds. Each EKG graph paper has markings at the top and they are 3 seconds apart. I hope this has helped yall identifying the lines on the graph paper!
Make sure you check out all of the resources attached to this lesson. Now, go out and be your best self today! And, as always, happy nursing!
Monalisa’s Study Plan
Concepts Covered:
- Community Health Overview
- Circulatory System
- Urinary System
- Communication
- Prenatal Concepts
- Test Taking Strategies
- Respiratory Disorders
- EENT Disorders
- Developmental Theories
- Legal and Ethical Issues
- Prefixes
- Suffixes
- Acute & Chronic Renal Disorders
- Disorders of the Adrenal Gland
- Preoperative Nursing
- Integumentary Disorders
- Integumentary Disorders
- Prioritization
- Bipolar Disorders
- Disorders of the Posterior Pituitary Gland
- Hematologic Disorders
- Immunological Disorders
- Renal Disorders
- Childhood Growth and Development
- Labor Complications
- Upper GI Disorders
- Medication Administration
- Developmental Considerations
- Adulthood Growth and Development
- Disorders of Pancreas
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Trauma
- Disorders of the Thyroid & Parathyroid Glands
- Integumentary Important Points
- Pregnancy Risks
- Urinary Disorders
- Cardiac Disorders
- Learning Pharmacology
- Documentation and Communication
- Anxiety Disorders
- Basic
- Factors Influencing Community Health
- Prenatal and Neonatal Growth and Development
- Lower GI Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Trauma-Stress Disorders
- Microbiology
- Oncology Disorders
- Somatoform Disorders
- Fundamentals of Emergency Nursing
- Dosage Calculations
- Concepts of Population Health
- Understanding Society
- Depressive Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- Cognitive Disorders
- Substance Abuse Disorders
- Psychological Emergencies
- Hematologic Disorders
- Liver & Gallbladder Disorders
- Emergency Care of the Cardiac Patient
- Female Reproductive Disorders
- Delegation
- Vascular Disorders
- Oncologic Disorders
- Postpartum Complications
- Fetal Development
- Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
- Basics of NCLEX
- Shock
- Studying
- Concepts of Mental Health
- Labor and Delivery
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Health & Stress
- Neurological Emergencies
- EENT Disorders
- Emotions and Motivation
- Intraoperative Nursing
- Digestive System
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Brain
- Tissues and Glands
- Postpartum Care
- Cardiovascular Disorders
- Newborn Care
- Renal and Urinary Disorders
- Newborn Complications
- Neurologic and Cognitive Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Infectious Disease Disorders
- Nervous System
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- Behavior
- Terminology
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- Peripheral Nervous System Disorders
- Proteins
- Noninfectious Respiratory Disorder
- Basics of Human Biology
- Neurological Trauma
- Concepts of Pharmacology
- Statistics
- Emergency Care of the Neurological Patient
- Basics of Sociology
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Spinal Cord
- Infectious Respiratory Disorder
- Psychotic Disorders
- Emergency Care of the Trauma Patient