Key Points:
- This hub organizes ECG basics and fundamentals into three complementary “start here” pathways: ECG definitions and measurement, how ECGs work and are generated, and the acute care STAT interpretation workflow.
- Use the pathway that matches your need: learn from scratch, refresh fundamentals, or apply a structured bedside workflow.
- Learners at any level can start here: these pages are for learners at any stage and serve as the foundation for the broader ECG Skills curriculum.
- Strong fundamentals improve advanced interpretation. Accurate measurement, sound physiology, and a consistent workflow reduce missed high-risk findings.
How to Use This Hub
This is your starting point for building ECG skill from the ground up. It brings together the core concepts that support accurate ECG interpretation in both learning and acute care practice. Start here:
1) Definitions & Measurements
Waveforms, Segments, & Intervals
Learn the basic parts of the ECG and how to measure them correctly. This includes identifying the true baseline, understanding paper speed and calibration, and avoiding common errors in PR interval, QRS duration, ST deviation, and QT/QTc assessment.
Learn from scratch here:
2) How ECGs Work
Vectors, Leads, & Activation
Learn what the ECG is actually displaying. This page explains leads as viewpoints of cardiac electrical vectors, making polarity, morphology, axis, and R wave progression easier to understand. It also reviews normal activation and important technical pitfalls such as lead misplacement and calibration error.
Learn fundamentals:
3) Rapid Interpretation Workflow
ECGs in Acute Care
A killers-first bedside workflow that prioritizes unstable rhythms, occlusion MI patterns, and toxic-metabolic conduction problems, with clear next steps for escalation and serial ECGs. Built for triage decisions and documentation that is specific, consistent, and defensible.
Use this for bedside decisions:
Curriculum Tracks
Use these pathways to progress from core concepts to advanced ECG pattern recognition and acute care decision-making:
Key Clinical Pearls:
- Fundamentals are not separate from advanced interpretation. Accurate measurement and a consistent workflow prevent missed killers.
- When the ECG looks bizarre, verify lead placement/calibration, and rule out artifact before committing to a rare or clinically unlikely diagnosis.
- The most valuable ECG habit in acute care is repeating ECGs when the story evolves and comparing to prior tracings.
If you want a direct bridge from basics into common bedside problem sets, start here.
Rate & Rhythm:
Conduction & Blocks:
Ischemic & Occlusion MI Recognition:
Repolarization Risk:
