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Flap 2 |
| rhythm strip | electrocardiogram printout |
| electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) | the graphic recording of the heart’s electrical activity. It may be displayed either on paper or on an oscilloscope |
| artifact | deflection on the EKG produced by factors other than the heart’s electrical activity. |
| bipolar limb leads | EKG leads applied to the arms and legs that contain two electrodes of opposing polarity; leads I, II, & III |
| Einthoven’s triangle | the triangle around the heart formed by the bipolar limb leadt |
| augmented limb leads | another term for unipolar limb leads, reflecting the fact that the gound lead is disconnected, which increased the amplitude of deflection of the EKG tracing |
| unipolar limb leads | EKG leads applied to the arms and legs, consisting of one polarized (+) electrode and a nonpolarized reference point that is created by the EKG machine combinging two additional electrodes; also called augmented limb leads; leads aVR, aVL, and aVF. |
| precordial (chest) leads | EKG leads applied to the chest in a pattern that permits a view of the horizontal plane of the heart; leads V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, and V6 |
| P wave | first component of the EKG; corresponds to atrial depolarization. On lead II, it’s a positive, rounded wave before the QRS complex |
| QRS complex | reflects ventricular depolarization. Q wave is the first negative deflection after the P wave; the R wave is the first positive deflection after the P wave; the S wave is the first negative deflection after the R wave |
