Advanced Patient Assessment Practice Exam

Which dysrhythmia is characterized by a sawtooth pattern on an ECG tracing?

1. Atrial fibrillation

2. Atrial flutter

3. Ventricular flutter

4. Ventricular fibrillation

The correct answer is: Atrial flutter

The dysrhythmia characterized by a sawtooth pattern on an ECG tracing is atrial flutter. This pattern, often referred to as "F-waves," creates a distinct appearance on the ECG, typically described as resembling sawtooth waves, particularly in the inferior leads (II, III, and aVF). Atrial flutter is the result of a reentrant circuit within the atria, which leads to rapid atrial contractions. The sawtooth pattern indicates the organized electrical activity of the atria, contrasting with other dysrhythmias that may feature irregular or chaotic electrical activity. In comparison, atrial fibrillation displays fibrillatory waves rather than a consistent pattern and is more chaotic, lacking the regularity found in atrial flutter. Ventricular flutter and ventricular fibrillation describe more critical conditions involving the ventricles, characterized by rapid and erratic electrical activity that does not produce a clear, organized pattern like the sawtooth formation seen in atrial flutter.