Key Concepts
Overview
Dysrhythmias (also called arrhythmias) are abnormal heart rhythms arising from disturbances in impulse formation, conduction, or both. They range from benign (occasional PACs) to immediately life-threatening (ventricular fibrillation). For NCLEX-RN, the priority is to identify whether a rhythm is hemodynamically stable or unstable, recognize the most common rhythms, and implement the correct intervention. Key decision framework: 1. Is the patient symptomatic (hypotension, chest pain, altered LOC, dyspnea)? = UNSTABLE → immediate intervention 2. What is the rate? Tachycardia > 100; bradycardia < 60 3. Is the rhythm regular or irregular? 4. Are QRS complexes narrow (< 0.12 sec = supraventricular) or wide (> 0.12 sec = ventricular or aberrant conduction)? 5. What is the P-wave relationship to QRS? Normal sinus rhythm (NSR): Rate 60–100, regular, P before every QRS, PR 0.12–0.20 sec, QRS < 0.12 sec. On the exam, writers often pair stable-sounding options with unstable data—notice the mismatch before you commit. If the stem names a license or role, reread that line; scope errors are classic trap answers even when the clinical topic is familiar. Run a 60-second scan:...