What it means
The normal pattern of the heartbeat: each beat starts in the SA node in the right atrium and spreads through the atria, the AV nodeay-VEE nohdAtrioventricular node: a small group of cells between the upper and lower chambers of the heart that passes on the heartbeat signal.atri/o atriumventricul/o ventricle-ar relating toFull entry and the ventricles in order. On an electrocardiogramih-lek-troh-KAR-dee-oh-gramA test that records the heart's electrical activity as waves on paper or a screen.electr/o electricitycardi/o heart-gram recordFull entry , every QRS complex has one P wave before it and the rhythm is regular. Normal sinus rhythm in an adult runs at 60 to 100 beats per minute; sinus bradycardia is slower and sinus tachycardia faster, with the same pattern.
In a chart
"Monitor shows normal sinus rhythm, rate 78; no ectopy."
At a glance
| Abbreviations | NSR (normal sinus rhythm) |
|---|---|
| Spanish | ritmo sinusal |
Related terms
tachycardia
A heart rate faster than normal; in an adult, more than 100 beats per minute.
bradycardia
A heart rate slower than normal; in an adult, fewer than 60 beats per minute.
arrhythmia
A heart rhythm that is not normal: too fast, too slow or irregular.
electrocardiogram
A test that records the heart's electrical activity as waves on paper or a screen.
AV node
Atrioventricular node: a small group of cells between the upper and lower chambers of the heart that passes on the heartbeat signal.