Patient Care Technician (PCT) AAH Practice Exam

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome is characterized by which of the following?

1. Long P-R interval

2. Narrow QRS complex

3. Short P-R interval, delta wave, wide QRS complex

4. Normal ECG findings

The correct answer is: Short P-R interval, delta wave, wide QRS complex

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW) is characterized by a specific set of electrocardiogram (ECG) findings that distinguish it from other cardiac conditions. The correct answer includes a short P-R interval, a delta wave, and a wide QRS complex. The short P-R interval results from an abnormal conduction pathway known as an accessory pathway that allows impulses to bypass the normal delay in the atrioventricular (AV) node. This is often referred to as a “pre-excitation” of the ventricles. The presence of the delta wave is indicative of this pre-excitation; it is a slurred upstroke in the QRS complex that represents early depolarization through the accessory pathway. Lastly, the wide QRS complex occurs due to the early ventricular activation from the accessory pathway, which can affect the normal spread of electrical impulses through the ventricles, leading to a wider QRS complex on the ECG. In contrast, a long P-R interval would suggest a first-degree AV block, which is not characteristic of WPW. A narrow QRS complex typically indicates normal conduction pathways without any pre-excitation. Normal ECG findings would rule out the presence of WPW, as the syndrome is defined by