AACN TEST|CONUNDRUM AND CERTIFIED ANSWERS
2026|GRADED A+
Endocardium - ANSWER-inner layer of the heart
Myocardium - ANSWER-thick, middle layer of the heart
Epicardium - ANSWER-outer surface of the heart muscle
RCA - ANSWER-extends to the back of the heart and perfuses the posterior of the heart
ECG prep - ANSWER-alcohol before skin prep
Time it takes the paper to come out of the EKG machine? - ANSWER-25 mm/s
Vertical axis - ANSWER-voltage--small box = 0.1 mv
Horizontal axis - ANSWER-time--small box = 0.4 sec
How often are tick marks? - ANSWER-every 3 seconds
Isoelectric line - ANSWER-electrical charges in the heart are equal
5 lead - ANSWER-smoke over fire, clouds over grass, brown in the middle
QT prolongation - ANSWER-- can cause torsades
, - can be affected by drugs (antibiotics, Antidysrhythmic , antipsychotic drugs)
Atrial pacemaker fires... - ANSWER-before the P wave
Ventricular pacemaker fires... - ANSWER-before the QRS complex
Threshold - ANSWER-the lowest amount of energy needed to produce a "capture"
Failure to pace - ANSWER-no pacemaker activity, it is not firing. This could be a sensitivity
problem or a mechanical issue
Failure to capture - ANSWER-the pacemaker is firing but no P wave or QRS complex follows the
pacer spike. The impulse is not strong enough to depolarize the heart (increasing the mA will
troubleshoot this problem)
Failure to sense - ANSWER-If the pacer spike is in the T wave, it is failure to sense
Over-sensing - ANSWER-- the pacemaker is too sensitive
- ex. pt is coughing and the pace maker thinks it's the pt's HR
- to decrease the sensitivity you must INCREASE the mV
too sensistive - ANSWER-INCREASE the mV
Under-sensing - ANSWER-- the pacemaker is not sensitive enough
- ex. fixed pace at 75 but pt is running up the stairs, their HR is climbing, and the pacemaker is
not picking it up
- to increase the sensitivity you must DECREASE the mV
2026|GRADED A+
Endocardium - ANSWER-inner layer of the heart
Myocardium - ANSWER-thick, middle layer of the heart
Epicardium - ANSWER-outer surface of the heart muscle
RCA - ANSWER-extends to the back of the heart and perfuses the posterior of the heart
ECG prep - ANSWER-alcohol before skin prep
Time it takes the paper to come out of the EKG machine? - ANSWER-25 mm/s
Vertical axis - ANSWER-voltage--small box = 0.1 mv
Horizontal axis - ANSWER-time--small box = 0.4 sec
How often are tick marks? - ANSWER-every 3 seconds
Isoelectric line - ANSWER-electrical charges in the heart are equal
5 lead - ANSWER-smoke over fire, clouds over grass, brown in the middle
QT prolongation - ANSWER-- can cause torsades
, - can be affected by drugs (antibiotics, Antidysrhythmic , antipsychotic drugs)
Atrial pacemaker fires... - ANSWER-before the P wave
Ventricular pacemaker fires... - ANSWER-before the QRS complex
Threshold - ANSWER-the lowest amount of energy needed to produce a "capture"
Failure to pace - ANSWER-no pacemaker activity, it is not firing. This could be a sensitivity
problem or a mechanical issue
Failure to capture - ANSWER-the pacemaker is firing but no P wave or QRS complex follows the
pacer spike. The impulse is not strong enough to depolarize the heart (increasing the mA will
troubleshoot this problem)
Failure to sense - ANSWER-If the pacer spike is in the T wave, it is failure to sense
Over-sensing - ANSWER-- the pacemaker is too sensitive
- ex. pt is coughing and the pace maker thinks it's the pt's HR
- to decrease the sensitivity you must INCREASE the mV
too sensistive - ANSWER-INCREASE the mV
Under-sensing - ANSWER-- the pacemaker is not sensitive enough
- ex. fixed pace at 75 but pt is running up the stairs, their HR is climbing, and the pacemaker is
not picking it up
- to increase the sensitivity you must DECREASE the mV
