Which procedure is used to review heart rhythms?

• A. Evaluate the electrocardiogram (ECG) tracing
• B. Auscultate heart sounds with a stethoscope
• C. Measure peripheral pulses only
• D. Check blood glucose level

Answer: (A)

Reviewing heart rhythms comes from analyzing the heart’s electrical activity captured in an ECG tracing. The ECG shows the sequence and timing of atrial and ventricular depolarization and repolarization (the P, QRS, and T waves) over time, letting you determine rate, regularity, and any conduction abnormalities. That precise rhythm information is what distinguishes normal rhythm from arrhythmias or blocks.

Listening with a stethoscope can clue you in to abnormal sounds or a rough sense of rate, but it doesn’t reveal the electrical pattern needed to confirm rhythm. Measuring peripheral pulses gives only a general sense of rate and can’t show rhythm regularity or conduction. Checking blood glucose has no direct relevance to assessing heart rhythm.