Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Book

EKG Rhythm

Bryan Rogoff  1 , Yuri B. Pride  2
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
Affiliations
Free Books & Documents
Book

EKG Rhythm

Bryan Rogoff et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Rapid electrocardiogram (EKG) interpretation can reveal arrhythmias before a patient becomes symptomatic. An EKG can reveal underlying cardiac problems and uncover electrolyte imbalances that, if left untreated, could lead to morbidity and mortality. The key to successful EKG interpretation is utilizing the same stepwise method with each attempt. A simple approach used by many practitioners is as follows: rate, rhythm, axis, intervals, ST-segment, and T waves. The rhythm on an EKG refers to what is driving the ventricular rate. Like all aspects of electrocardiographic interpretation, accurate and rapid rhythm identification is paramount to treating patients appropriately (see Image. EKG Rhythm Flowchart).

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Bryan Rogoff declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Yuri Pride declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. Hutchisson B, Cossey S, Wheeler RM. Basic electrocardiogram interpretation for perioperative nurses. AORN J. 2003 Oct;78(4):572-81, 585-90; quiz 591-4. - PubMed
    1. Baladi IH, Rai AA, Ahmed SM. ECG changes in patients with primary hyperthyroidism. Pan Afr Med J. 2018;30:246. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Miranda-Bacallado J, Izquierdo-Gómez MM, García-Niebla J, Jiménez JJ, Iribarren JL, Laynez-Cerdeña I, Lacalzada-Almeida J. Role of echocardiography in a patient with suspected acute pulmonary embolism: a case report. J Med Case Rep. 2019 Feb 19;13(1):37. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ruperti Repilado FJ, Doerig L, Blum S, Aeschbacher S, Krisai P, Ammann P, Erne P, Moschovitis G, di Valentino M, Shah D, Schläpfer J, Stempfel S, Kühne M, Sticherling C, Osswald S, Conen D. Prevalence and predictors of atrial fibrillation type among individuals with recent onset of atrial fibrillation. Swiss Med Wkly. 2018 Sep 10;148:w14652. - PubMed
    1. Kotadia ID, Williams SE, O'Neill M. Supraventricular tachycardia: An overview of diagnosis and management. Clin Med (Lond) 2020 Jan;20(1):43-47. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources