EKG Terms

I am reposting this since I didn't get any help the first time. Please, can someone help translate these medical terms?

[www.yourhealthbase.com]

Debbi, sit tight until PC or Hans or Jim or J Pisano or some of the other medically-educated respondents happen to see your post. You are right to keep it near the top as it may get buried in the older posts before somebody who knows a lot more than i do happens onto it. Meanwhile, use each of those terms first in Google and then in the search function on this board. You can pick up a little for yourself from that.
Peggy

Debbi
Try this web site it shows ECG strips of different heart rythms,

[www.mikecowley.co.uk]

Ella

Debbi: I answered this in detail, I believe on another support group and it was deleted.

1. RVR (Rapid Ventricular Response)
The ventricular response is what determines your heart rate. Your ventricles are responding to atrial impulses, whether they are sinus node impulses or rogue impulses, at a rapid rate: ie: >(greater than) 100
2. AF with V response
Atrial Fibrillation with Ventricular response______?
3. Short -R-R wide aberrant QRS
R waves mean ventricular systole (squeeze). A short R-R interval would indicate a rapid heart rate, or ventricular response. Aberrant QRS - The QRS is ventricular systole (squeeze). "Oh, I thought you said R was ventricular systole (squeeze)". Yes, but the actual wave form begins when the impulse travels from the AV node, along its normal pathway, through the ventricles, and then causes the ventricular contraction. The width of the waveform if directly reflective of time. That normal pathway is quite direct. In aberrant QRS, the impulse meanders, rather than taking the normal pathway and most direct route, causing an increased width in the appearance of the QRS complex.
4. Diffuse ST-T abnormal
ST-T is the diastolic (resting) phase. This waveform also reflects time, but can show other abnormalities with its height and shape differences, that may reflect injury (during a heart attack), but often is affected by certain drugs. Many, many drugs will change the height, shape, and length of this waveform.
5. Multiple ventricular premature complexes
PVC's I imagine you know that you have. The ventricles are capable of initiating their own impulse, and sometimes do so at times of increased cardiac irritability. People who have 1 arrhythmia often have lots of other ectopy (extra, usually early beats originating from some place other than the sinus node). In LAF (atrial fib in the absence of heart muscle disease), the appearance of isolated PVCs is usally an annoying, but benign occurance. They become dangerous when they start occuring in runs of 2 or 3 or more. The above "Multiple" does not mean in a row, it means multiple isolated PVC's - still benign.
6. Right Atrial enlargement
The right atrial chamber is enlarged. In uncontrolled afib it is usually the left atrial chamber which becomes enlarged, and the right in A Flutter, but not always. Those chambers usually return to normal, or near normal, once the arrhythmia has been controlled, esp rate control.
7. Irregular Atrial Activity
Impulses are coming from the atrial chambers, but from other places besides the sinus node (the normal pacemaker). They could be fibrillatory waves, or flutter waves. Most likely fib waves, as flutter waves are more regular.
8. Enlarged cardiac sillouette with mild failure. Your heart is enlarged and it does not indicate how much (that would come from an x-ray or echo). It could be just the right atrial enlargement which causes the sillouette to be enlarged. Now we are looking at a picture and not an EKG. There is nothing on an EKG to demonstrate cardiac enlargement. Sometimes an X-ray will say mild, moderate or greatly or grossly enlarged. Mild failure is mild congestive heart failure, as also shown by an X-ray. Weakened wall motion can cause a decreased squeeze or ejection fraction and hence backwards pressure causes fluid to back up into the lungs, first causing mild pulmonary edema.
9. S1 & S2 Irregular. On an exam, S1 and S2 mean first and second heart tones ie; lub and dub. The sounds are actually caused by the snapping closed of various heart valves. Extra heart sounds (S3) can mean congestive heart failure. S4 can be caused by thickened chamber walls, called hypertrophy. Your simply S1 and S2 mean you have no extra heart sounds. Irregular means, the valves are closing at irregular intervals showing an irregular heart beat.

Hope that helps. It's the second time I have done this. I'm sure this one won't be deleted.

Pam (unvarified RN)

Wow. Pam, i hope you are still around the next time i get a string of gibberish from some medical pundit.
Peggy

Many thanks, I must have missed the other on before it got deleted, been down with pneumonia, just getting back to normal. Funny thing, I went in for A-Fib to ER and they diagnosed pneumonia. How strange is that? My heartrate stayed in the 70's, even though they had me on cardiac floor with h monitor.

I printed out your response. Please know that a lot of people are complaining about what happened to you on the other board. God bless you, you've always been there for me and my stupid questions.

Debbi

By the way, I have records of last hospital visit ordered from hospital, hopefully they will be here soon, where they did an echo and CT....heart and abdominal.

Hopefully you'll be around to help me with those, too. I am forever grateful to you Pam.

Debbi

Records also show I have A-Flutter which I was never told by the doctor, even asking it directly to his face, he said no A-Flutter. But cario notes in hospital records say yes. Duh.

Pam,
Would you email me, please?

If you'd rather not give your email address, I totally understand.

Thanks,
Debbi

Debbi:
There is nothing to feel bad about with knowing this giberish (sp). Some people on this board blow me away with their knowledge of nutrition,chemistry and neural and hormonal physiology. Wow, I can't even add an intelligent sentence. I read EKGs and Holters and event monitors and worked with arrhythmias (ironically) for 20 years. Glad I could help with something. I'll be glad to help interpret any time.
By the way Debbi, I'm not surprised that you had afib with pneumonia. Pulmonary problems are very often linked with afib. Many people with COPD or Emphysema also have chronic afib.

Take care Debbi,
Pam

PS: The long and thought out response that you see above, was withheld, or deleted from that other group, so I had to write it all over again here. Sorry.

Pam

Just wanted to say it is good to see you here. I thought that your treatment on the Yahoo AF board was out of order. In fact it enraged me. I've decided to leave them too it and not go back. I just feel sorry for all the people who think they have found a support group and never find the answers they are looking for. I thought I might just read and answer those that I might be able to help direct.

Fran

PS

I was there when they banned the last person. All the guy was doing was saying he had stopped his AF through putting his temeprature up. He had suggestions on how to this and some people, like me, asked lots of questions. His theory was great and I certainly thought it was worth looking into - just as we do here all the time. But this was seen as out of order. I even read a private post that came to the board by mistake from one of the moderators who was worried that I was too impressionable and might be led to try dangerous things!! Me?? I posted a reply to ask why but it was not answered. And I am now really angry as I got a rude post about a spelling mistake I made in a post of support for you. My reply didn't get past the moderators -- because I said the board was making me feel uncomfortable. But they posted other ones to individuals..

They can keep there manipulated board.

Pam and Fran

I am so glad you are both here I learn a lot from you 2 and everyone else on this board.

I got 3 computer viruses for 3 days in a row and quit the yahoo group, I have not had a virus since then, also I was tired of reading about the support of meds
(which I hate) oh tho I know they have helped some, but all they did for me was make my afib worse.

Thank you all and God bless,

Ella

Pam,
Thanks so much for your help. I was wondering why no one on the other board would answer my questions.

That's why I rephrased it on this board. Sorry I missed it the first time.

I am forever grateful for you help. I went for a check up today with Internist and told her I had found I had a-flutter along with a-fib from the 1st cardiologist in my med records.......I asked her to explain the difference and she said quote "I'd have to spend years in med school to understand the different. I still don't know the difference." WOW! So I went googling when I got home!

Then pulled out Han's Book.

Please email me if you don't mind giving out your email address. Just click on my name for my address.

Thanks,
Debbi