An Overview of the
Electrocardiogram
• As cardiac cells depolarize and
repolarize, electrical currents
spread throughout the body
because the tissues surrounding
the heart are able to conduct
electrical currents generated by
the heart.
An Overview of the
Electrocardiogram
• When these electrical currents are
measured by an array of electrodes
placed at specific locations on the
body surface, the recorded tracing is
called an ECG
An Overview of the
Electrocardiogram
• When the impulse is
conducted, the inside
of the myocardial cell
becomes positive and
the outside becomes
negative.
An Overview of the
Electrocardiogram
• If electrodes are placed
over the chest wall and
the electrical impulse
travels toward it,
– the recording of the
electrode shows a
positive or upward
deflection.
An Overview of the
Electrocardiogram
• When the impulse
moves away from
the electrode, it
shows a negative
deflection.
How ECG is obtained
• By placing the electrodes in different standard
parts of the chest wall, arms, and legs, the
electrical activity of the heart can be captured
in various “viewpoints”
• Typically, electrodes are placed on the
– arms & legs and
– at six chest positions.
• The instrument used to record the electrical
changes is called an electrocardiograph.
An Overview of the
Electrocardiogram
• Typically, the electrical
activity during each
contraction of the heart
is recorded as a series
of positive and
negative waves, with
each part of the wave
representing impulse
conduction along
different parts of the
heart.
ECG Waves.
• The repeating waves of the ECG represent the
sequence of depolarization and repolarization
of the atria and ventricles.
• ECGs are generally recorded on paper at a
speed of 25 mm/sec and with a vertical
calibration of 1 mV/cm.
Waves of ECG
• An ECG consists of a set of waves: the P wave,
a QRS complex,and a T wave
Waves of ECG
• The P wave represents depolarization
of the atria as an impulse started by the
SA node travels throughout the atria.
• The period after the P wave represents
the time in which the atrial cells are
depolarized and the impulse is traveling
within the AV node, where conduction
velocity is greatly reduced.
• The P wave signals that the atria are
going to be in systole and that the atrial
myocardium is about to contract.
• it is usually 0.08 to 0.1 seconds
Waves of ECG
• The QRS complex represents
depolarization of the ventricles
• The QRS complex shows greater
voltage changes than the P wave
because the ventricles have more
muscle mass than the atria.
• The duration of the QRS complex is
normally 0.06 to 0.1 seconds,
indicating that ventricular
depolarization occurs rapidly.
• If the QRS complex is prolonged
(greater than 0.1 seconds),
conduction is impaired within the
ventricles.
Waves of ECG
• The T wave represents
repolarization of the ventricles
– lasts longer than depolarization.
– phase 3 of the action potential
• It signals that the ventricles are
going to be in diastole and that the
ventricular myocardium is about to
relax.
• Atrial diastole does not show up
on an ECG as an independent event
because the voltage changes are
masked by the QRS complex.
INTERVALS on ECG.
• Because the recording device, such as
recording paper, moves at a standard speed,
the distance between the different waves
indicates the duration taken for the impulse to
travel from one region to another.
• Also, the height of the waves indicates the
size of the muscle tissue (i.e., hypertrophied
muscle tends to produce a larger wave).
INTERVALS
• The distance between the
beginning of the P wave and
the QRS complex the PR
interval—
• indicates the time taken for
the impulse to travel from the
atria to the ventricle.
• Ranges from 0.12 to 0.20
seconds.
• If the P-R interval is greater
than 0.2 seconds, a
conduction defect (usually
within the AV node) is present
(e.g.,first-degree heart block).
INTERVALS
• The Q-T interval
represents the period
of ventricular
depolarization and
repolarization;
INTERVALS
• The ST segment is the
isoelectric period when
the entire ventricle is
depolarized.
• Corresponds to the
plateau phase of the
ventricular action
potential.
Importance of ECG
• A lot of information can be obtained by analyzing
an ECG.
• Some of abnormalities that can be detected and
diagnosed are:
– Irregularities in heart rate.
– size of different chambers.
– location of pacemaker.
– presence and location of damaged or dead cardiac
tissue.
– rate of conduction, and conduction defects.
Vascular Function
• The vascular system serves
two basic functions:
distribution and exchange.
CIRCULAION FUNCTION
• The function of the circulation is to service the
needs of the body tissues.
– to transport nutrients to the body tissues,
– to transport waste products away,
– to conduct hormones from one part of the body to
another, and,
• in general, to maintain an appropriate environment in all
the tissue fluids of the body for optimal survival and
function of the cells.
Physiology of Circulation
• Circulation is the movement of
blood through blood vessels,
from the heart and then back to
the heart.
Blood Vessels and Circulation
• The blood that is pumped out of the ventricles enters
the two large blood vessels—
– the aorta and
– pulmonary trunk
• The blood vessels carry blood from the heart to the
tissue and back to the heart.
• The blood flows through the vessels primarily
because of the pumping of the heart
CIRCULATORY
SYSTEM
Distribution of Pressures
and Volumes
• Blood pressure is highest in the aorta and
progressively decreases as the blood flows
further away from the heart
• The mean aortic pressure is about 95 mm Hg
in a normal adult.
• The mean blood pressure does not fall much
as the blood flows down the aorta and
through large distributing arteries
Velocity of Blood Flow
• The velocity of the blood returning to the
heart remains low compared to the blood
leaving the heart.
• In a resting individual, it takes only a minute
for a drop of blood to go from the heart to the
foot and back again to the heart!
• Blood pressure causes blood flow because
blood always flows from a higher to a lower
pressuredifference.
THE END
