Module 5 Discussion (NUR2790 Professional Nursing III Discussions)

Artifact vs. Dysrhythmia

Describe the role of each component of the ECG in the heart’s contraction: the P wave, the PR interval, the QRS complex, the ST segment, the T wave, and the QT interval. What is the difference between artifact and dysrhythmia? How can you reduce artifacts? What are some situations that can occur if artifact is not reduced or eliminated?

You are working in the Telemetry Unit. The nurse “watching” the monitors is reading a magazine. She constantly turns off an alarm that looks a lot like Ventricular Fibrillation. She tells you that it is not a dysrhythmia, it is just artifact. What do you think about her actions? What is the worst case scenario in this situation? What would you do?

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Artifact vs. Dysrhythmia

Introduction

Trauma and stress can lead to a heart rhythm disorder called dysrhythmia, which can be treated with medication. But some patients have a cardiac condition that causes the same symptoms even when they’re undisturbed, which is known as an artifact-dysrhythmia. It’s important for doctors to know what these are so they can help their patients get the right treatment.

What causes artifact vs. dysrhythmia

Artifacts and dysrhythmias are two common symptoms that can arise from electrical interference in the heart. However, they’re not the same thing.

Artifact is caused by an electrical malfunction in the heart that leads to a misfiring of cells throughout your body. This can cause pain, dizziness and even fainting—but it won’t cause arrhythmia (the kind where you have two or more heartbeats at once). Dysrhythmias are caused by problems with your heart’s electrical system; this results in abnormal rhythms such as tachycardia (fast heartbeat) or bradycardia (slow heartbeat).

Artifact

Artifacts can be caused by a number of factors, including:

• The patient moving from side to side or up and down. This motion can create electrical interference with nearby equipment, creating an artifact that looks like a waveform.

• Motion of the patient’s clothing (such as when they change positions). This can cause artifacts in the same way that it causes electrical interference with nearby equipment.

• Movement of the electrode itself during measurements (e.g., if you accidentally touch your computer screen while measuring something else with your finger). If this happens frequently enough, you may start seeing signs of artifacting throughout your data set!

Dysrhythmia

Dysrhythmia is the term for a condition in which your heart beats irregularly. There are many different causes of dysrhythmia, including heart disease, high blood pressure, electrolyte imbalances and medications like certain antibiotics and birth control pills.

Dysrhythmias can be scary because they often cause symptoms that mimic symptoms of a stroke or other medical problem such as stoke (tissue death). If you think you might have dysrhythmias, make sure to see an emergency room doctor right away if your symptoms get worse; this way they can check for other conditions that could be causing them as well!

Takeaway:

Artifact and dysrhythmia are both types of cardiac arrhythmia. But, while artifact has its roots in a medical term, dysrhythmia has its origins in ancient Greek mythology.

Artifact is a disorder where your heart rhythm becomes irregular or chaotic. In contrast, dysrhythmia is an abnormal electrical activity within the heart itself that causes it to beat too fast or too slow for comfort (or anything in between).

Conclusion

In conclusion, artifact and dysrhythmia are two different types of heart problems. Artifact can be treated with medication or surgery, whereas dysrhythmia cannot be treated.