Question: SECTION 1

Answer: The P Wave

Question: What is the P wave?

Answer: The first deflection in the cardiac cycle. It is caused by the depolarization of the left and right atria. The first part of the P wave depicts the depolarization of the right atria, and the rest of the P wave depicts the depolarization of the left atria.

Question: Where is the P Wave conducted?

Answer: In the SA node, and travels through the normal atria, resulting in normal depolarization.

Question: What does a normal P wave look like?

Answer: A round/smooth semi-circle. It is 0.5 - 2.5mm in size in height, and 0.10 seconds in length or width. There should only be one P wave to each QRS complex.

Question: What happens when there are more than 1 P wave to each QRS complex?

Answer: Indicative of a conduction disturbance, such as that which occurs in second and third-degree heart block.