Which dysrhythmia is associated with a "wide QRS complex"?

The correct answer is associated with a "wide QRS complex" due to the nature of the electrical conduction occurring in the ventricles during the arrhythmia. Ventricular tachycardia (VT) originates from the ventricles and is characterized by a rapid heart rate, often greater than 100 beats per minute. In VT, the electrical impulses arise from an ectopic focus within the ventricular myocardium rather than from the normal conduction system.

As a result of this abnormal origin, the conduction of impulses through the ventricles happens much slower than normal, leading to a wide QRS complex greater than 0.12 seconds on the ECG. This widening occurs because the impulse does not follow the typical route through the His-Purkinje system, which is responsible for rapid and coordinated ventricular depolarization; instead, it spreads through the muscle tissue of the ventricles itself.

In contrast, other options like atrial fibrillation and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) typically have narrow QRS complexes because their impulses originate from the atria or supraventricular structures and activate the ventricles via the normal conduction pathways. Bradycardia, characterized by a slower than normal heart rate, may show a normal or narrow