Atrial Flutter — ECG Academy Lesson

Recognize the sawtooth flutter wave pattern on a rhythm strip, calculate ventricular rate from conduction ratios, identify the classic 2:1 flutter masquerading as a narrow complex tachycardia at 150 bpm, and understand treatment approaches for atrial flutter.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the re-entrant circuit mechanism that produces atrial flutter
• Identify the classic sawtooth pattern (F waves) on a rhythm strip
• Calculate the ventricular rate based on the atrial rate and conduction ratio
• Recognize 2:1 atrial flutter as a cause of narrow complex tachycardia at approximately 150 bpm
• Differentiate atrial flutter from atrial fibrillation, sinus tachycardia, and MAT
• Describe the treatment options for atrial flutter including rate control, cardioversion, and ablation