A nurse is assessing a client who has right-sided heart failure. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

The P wave is the first wave on the ECG strip and represents the electrical activity of the atria. It reflects the depolarization of the atrial myocardium, which is the process of changing the electrical charge of the cardiac cells from negative to positive, triggering a contraction. The P wave precedes the QRS complex, which represents ventricular depolarization, and the T wave, which represents ventricular repolarization.

The other options are not correct because:

a. Slow repolarization of ventricular Purkinje fibers. This statement is incorrect because it describes the U wave, which is a small and sometimes invisible wave that follows the T wave on the ECG strip. It reflects the repolarization of the ventricular Purkinje fibers, which are specialized cardiac cells that conduct electrical impulses to the ventricles. The U wave is more prominent in conditions that cause hypokalemia, such as diuretic use or vomiting.

c. Early ventricular repolarization. This statement is incorrect because it describes the ST segment, which is the flat line between the QRS complex and the T wave on the ECG strip. It reflects the early phase of ventricular repolarization, which is the process of restoring the electrical charge of the cardiac cells to negative after a contraction. The ST segment can be elevated or depressed in conditions that cause myocardial ischemia or injury, such as angina or myocardial infarction.

d. Ventricular depolarization. This statement is incorrect because it describes the QRS complex, which is the largest and most visible wave on the ECG strip. It reflects the depolarization of the ventricular myocardium, which triggers a ventricular contraction. The QRS complex follows the P wave and precedes the T wave on the ECG strip.

Ventricular gallop is another name for the S3 sound, which is a low-pitched sound heard at the end of diastole, just after the S2 sound. It is caused by the rapid filling of the ventricles and the vibration of the ventricular walls.

Closure of the pulmonic valve is one of the components of the S2 sound, which is a high-pitched sound heard at the end of the systole, just before the S1 sound. It is caused by the closure of the semilunar valves (pulmonic and aortic).

Closure of the mitral valve is one of the components of the S1 sound, which is a high-pitched sound heard at the beginning of systole, just after the S2 sound. It is caused by the closure of the atrioventricular valves (mitral and tricuspid).

d. Atrial gallop is another name for the S4 sound, which is a low-pitched sound heard at the end of diastole, just before the S1 sound. It is caused by atrial contraction and increased resistance to ventricular filling.