Cardiac Anatomy for EKG
Key chambers, valves, blood flow, and coronary territories that shape the EKG tracing.
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Questions Covered in This Set
10 cards to master
Which chamber dominates the normal QRS complex, and why?
The left ventricle — its wall is ~3x thicker than the RV, and muscle mass equals voltage, so the LV signal drowns out the RV.
What structure generates the P wave?
The atria (thin-walled), producing a small deflection usually under 2.5 mm tall.
Trace the path of blood through the heart valves.
Vena cava → RA → tricuspid → RV → pulmonic → lungs → pulmonary veins → LA → mitral → LV → aortic → body.
Which artery supplies the anterior wall, septum, apex, and bundle branches?
The LAD (left anterior descending); occlusion can cause new bundle branch block or high-grade AV block. Leads V1–V4.
Which artery supplies the inferior wall and (in most people) the SA and AV nodes?
The RCA — SA node in ~60%, AV node in ~90%. Inferior leads II, III, aVF.
Which leads correspond to the lateral wall and which artery feeds it?
Leads I, aVL, V5, V6 — supplied by the left circumflex (LCx).
What is the normal QRS axis range and why?
−30° to +90°; ventricular depolarization runs from upper-right toward the lower-left apex.
Which chamber is most anterior, and which is most posterior?
The right ventricle is most anterior (nearest the sternum); the left atrium is most posterior.
How do LVH and RVH differ on EKG?
LVH makes the QRS taller (more mass in the dominant chamber); RVH shifts the QRS rightward with tall R waves in V1.
How do left vs. right atrial enlargement change the P wave?
Left atrial enlargement widens/notches the P wave; right atrial enlargement makes it tall and peaked.
