The ECG song - Song and lyrics

S1 Q3 T3 From: Life in the Fast Lane http://lifeinthefastlane.com/ecg-library/pe/

<<Intro/Chorus

It’s ECGs,

Everybody reads ECGs,

GPs read ECGs,

Physicians read ECGs.

Rate, rhythm, axis,

LV hypertrophy.

First start at P,

Then QRST.

End Intro/Chorus*>>

The rate is easy,

Take 100 times 3,

then divide by large squares,

between two R-Rs you see.

The Rs from the rhythm strip,

Alternatively,

Can be multiplied by 6,

More time but more easy.

The next one is rhythm,

See if there’s a P

Then a QRS,

It’s sinus rhythm you see.

If it isn’t regular,

And there is no P

Then chances are

It’s AF you see.

*Chorus

If there’s a sawtooth,

or a pace of 150,

Then I would suggest

atrial flutter it be,

If the PR lengthens,

before each QRS,

drops one complex before resuming,

Then it’s Wenckebach.

If there’s one QRS,

after every 2 or 3 P,

Then it’s Mobitz II,

Heart block of 2^nd degree.

If PR is more than 200 ms,

heart block first degree,

If P and Q are dissociated,

Then it’s CHB.

*Chorus

Leads I and II usually,

Should both point up you see,

Otherwise see if the pattern is

LAD or RAD.

S in V1 or V2

Plus R in V5 or V6

Greater than 7 large squares,

LV hypertrophy.

Look for Q waves

Quarter of the QRS,

Two in the same territory

Could be an infarction past.

Less than 100 ms

QRS length should be

Otherwise a ventricular rate

or bad ventricular conduction it be.

*Chorus

If the QRS is long,

look for two rhythms you see,

MaRRow for right bundle

WiLLiaM LBBB.

Things are more complex

with a LBBB,

Hard to assess ST

Or LV hypertrophy.

If there is ischemia,

there can be depressed ST.

But if it is elevated,

It may be a STEMI.

Pericarditis has globally

elevated ST;

Ischemia or old infarcts

cause an inverted T

*Chorus

It is a massive pain

To assess prolonged QT

But it is important

To prevent polymorphic VT.

QT on root RR

Will give you QTc

Less than .45 for males

and .46 females see.

*Chorus

It’s S1 Q3 T3

a huge PE

and leads aVF, II and III

an inferior STEMI

If there’s a LBBB

Look at a prior ECG,

If it’s VF or VT,

Get the defib ready.

*Chorus

<END>

nucleophilic addition-elimination, 2014

Disclaimer: No responsibility will be taken for any harm as a result of following this song. This song should not be used for entire preparation of ECG training. Also learn about the different regions of the ECG, spotting SVT, VF, VT, right sided infarcts, and differentiating atrial and ventricular ectopics just to name a few other things. Or other things like ECG signs of hyper/hypokalemia and hypothermia, and the various more common signs of PE on ECG.

Edit to add: Youtube link to ECG song.

[update] Aged care rotation and research project selections

I am now two weeks into the aged care rotation. So far, I am enjoying this rotation a lot more than mental health. I have heard several others say that they enjoyed mental health a lot more than aged care, but I found the opposite.

For me, it was very refreshing to go around in the ward round and see the patients being asked history questions and being examined, with medications being reviewed. Due to the holiday at the end of the year and the mental health rotation, it had been very long since I had seen patients having their chest listened to or their JVP checked. It was as if I had almost forgotten that these things could actually be done!

It was also refreshing that we didn't need to spend too long with each patient. For me, mental health was very draining, spending such a long time with each patient during a ward round.

In this rotation, apart from general medicine, there is more emphasis on learning on things such as falls, incontinence, reduced mobility, delirium and dementia. It was interesting to see some of the more functional tests in action too, such as the functional reach test and three minute walk test, while the standard neurological exams and eye exams were also performed to examine for potential causes of a fall.

I will have one more week in the geriatric medicine ward, then I will have a few weeks of palliative care, before my GP rotation.


There have also been sessions recently at the various hospitals advertising about scholarly selective projects that they want us to do. The scholarly selective is a research project during the first semester of fourth year MD at Melbourne. I am personally trying to look for some cardiology related projects and contacted a few supervisors, looking forward to meeting them. Some of them are in Austin though, which requires traveling by me from St Vincent's, which takes up considerable time. I haven't conducted any research before myself, so I am looking forward to this research semester next year.