Identify this rhythm.

Get ready for the Paramedic Readiness Exam 5. Study with multiple-choice questions, detailed explanations, and effective strategies. Enhance your exam preparedness today!

Multiple Choice

Identify this rhythm.

The pattern shows a slow, regular rhythm with P waves preceding every QRS and a rate below 60—this is sinus bradycardia. Interspersed with the normal beats are wide, abnormal QRS complexes that occur without a preceding P wave. These are premature ventricular contractions. When these PVCs appear on every other beat, the rhythm is described as bigeminy. So you’re looking at sinus bradycardia with bigeminal PVCs. This differs from atrial fibrillation, which would lack discrete P waves and be irregular. It isn’t ventricular tachycardia, which would be a rapid, wide-complex rhythm. It isn’t a second-degree AV block, which would show dropped beats or progressively lengthening PR intervals.

The pattern shows a slow, regular rhythm with P waves preceding every QRS and a rate below 60—this is sinus bradycardia. Interspersed with the normal beats are wide, abnormal QRS complexes that occur without a preceding P wave. These are premature ventricular contractions. When these PVCs appear on every other beat, the rhythm is described as bigeminy. So you’re looking at sinus bradycardia with bigeminal PVCs.

This differs from atrial fibrillation, which would lack discrete P waves and be irregular. It isn’t ventricular tachycardia, which would be a rapid, wide-complex rhythm. It isn’t a second-degree AV block, which would show dropped beats or progressively lengthening PR intervals.

More practice questions