A nurse is reviewing a client's cardiac rhythm strips and notes a constant P-R interval of 0.35 seconds. Which of the following dysrhythmias is the client displaying?
Explanation & Rationale
A. Atrial fibrillation: This dysrhythmia is characterized by an irregularly irregular rhythm with absent or unidentifiable P waves, not a prolonged constant P-R interval. B. Premature atrial complexes: PACs involve early P waves that may have a normal or slightly different P-R interval, but they do not cause a consistently prolonged P-R interval across all beats. C. First-degree atrioventricular block: A constant P-R interval greater than 0.20 seconds indicates a first-degree AV block. The atrial impulses are delayed at the AV node, but all impulses are conducted to the ventricles, producing a regular rhythm with prolonged P-R intervals. D. Complete heart block: In complete heart block (third-degree AV block), there is no relationship between P waves and QRS complexes. The P-R interval is variable, unlike the constant prolongation seen in first-degree AV block.