Rhythm Strip Identification Flashcard 3

C. Rationale: An extremely irritable ventricular focus will lead impulses to fire in a chaotic manner that causes the ventricles to begin fibrillating. Because of this, ventricular fibrillation is a lethal arrhythmia. It has such a distinct pattern in that it is the easiest arrhythmia to identify. In ventricular fibrillation, there are no waves or complexes to identify. It is simply a grossly chaotic fibrillatory pattern.

Answer option A: Ventricular tachycardia is a dysrhythmia in which electrical impulses arise from the ventricles as opposed to the SA node. It has a very rapid rate with very wide QRS complexes. A pulse may or may not be present.
Answer option B: Artifact presents as disorganized electrical activity but would likely not present exactly the same in all leads.
Answer option D: Ventricular tachycardia is a dysrhythmia in which electrical impulses arise from the ventricles as opposed to the sinoatrial node.