Learn Clinical Skills | EKG, Heart & Lung Sounds, Taking Blood Pressure | 2022

Access to the content described on this page is completely free for students and instructors. Just follow the links. Optionally, free registration provides progress tracking across user sessons. Instructors can track student progress and quiz scores using a special instructor dashboard page.

The content described below includes ECG interpretation, heart and lung sounds, taking blood pressure using a virtual sphygmomanometer and medical terminology. We also cover how instructors can monitor student progress and quiz scores.

EKG

Our free ECG training includes four short courses. Each of these modules includes lecture materials as well as interactive exercises within the lessons. Many of these modules include an ECG rhythm quiz. If the user has signed-in, module completion and quiz results will be saved to the user's dashboard. We also provide ECG Quizzes that are not directly associated with an instructional modules, as described below.

ECG Basics

A short course to teach students the basics of ECGs and introduce them to ECG terminology. A quiz is available to allow students to practice basic ECG reading.

ECG Basics

Rhythm Interpretation

This module teachs the key concepts and procedures of ECG interpretation. Interactive questions and answers are available throughout the module.

Reading an ECG Strip

Sinus Rhythms

This module trains students on key ECG tracing morphologic features. Numerous practice exercises throughout the module. A 21 question quiz is included.

Sinus Rhythms

Atrial Rhythms

Learn about atrial rhythms by using our free module. Practice drills are available within the module and a quiz concludes the course.

Atrial Rhythms

ECG Daily Drill

A daily ECG interpretation drill of three ECG tracings.

Daily ECG Drill

Basic Test

Students tested on normal sinus rhythm, sinus tachycardia, sinus bradycardia, sinus arrhythmia and asystole

5 Questions

Second Test

Students tested using Basic Test plus these additional tracings: ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, junctional escape rhythm, pacemaker rhythm and premature ventricular complex.

10 Questions

Heart and Lung Sounds

Learn to auscultate heart and lung sounds. These modules cover both normal and abnormal sounds.

Normal Heart Sounds

We present normal first and second heart sounds, split first and second heart sounds, third heart sounds, innocent murmurs and exercise related fast heart sounds.

Normal Heart Sounds

Fundamentals of Heart Sounds

This module is twice the length of our normal heart sounds module, allowing us to introduce multiple heart murmurs and clicks.

Fundamentals of Heart Sounds

Basics of Lung Sounds

We focus on describing eight important breath sounds with audio recordings.

Basics of Lung Sounds

Auscultation Quizzes

Students can take and retake these auscultation quizzes at any time.
Basic Heart Sounds
Basic Lung Sounds
Fundamentals of Heart Sounds

Taking Blood Pressure

While our website offers many case studies involving hypertension, these materials are not ideal for just learning the principles and methods of taking blood pressure. So we are pleased to now offer basic lessons and practice drills.

Overview

The basic principles of a sphygmomanometer and its use.

BP Overview

How to Take BP

Procedures and precautions for taking blood pressure manually.

How to Take BP

Taking Blood Pressure Practice

Using our virtual sphygmomanometer, students listen and observe the dial, then enter pressure readings. Immediate feedback is provided.

Practice Drill

Medical Terminology

Medical Dictionary

Our concise summary of essential medical prefixes, suffixes and combining forms.

Medical Dictionary

Medical Word Parts

A quick reference for our selected medical terms and word parts. Lists by body system as well as alphabetic access.

Medical Word Parts

Medical Flashcards

A pre-release of our enhanced medical terminology flashcard app, based upon spaced repetition. Its free.

Medical Terms Flashcards

Progress Tracking

Access to our free content does not require that students or instructors register. But if they setup a free account, each person gets progress tracking on a personalized dashboard. Instructors can monitor student progress and quiz scores. Students are able to control who sees their progress and scores.

Contributors

Dr. Barbara Erickson, Author, Heart Sounds and Murmurs Across The Lifespan
Diane Wrigley, Physician Assistant
Dr. Jonathan Keroes, Cardiologist
Dr. Raymond Murphy, Pulmonologist
David Lieberman, Audio Engineering
Thomas O'Brien.
Dr. Michael Mazzini, MD
Steve Collmann
Dr. Pedro Azevedo, MD, Cardiology

Authors and Reviewers

Heart sounds by Dr. Jonathan Keroes, MD and David Lieberman, Developer, Virtual Cardiac Patient.
Lung sounds provided by Diane Wrigley, PA
Heart sounds mentorship by W. Proctor Harvey, MD>
Reviewed by Dr. Barbara Erickson, PhD, RN, CCRN.
Last Update: 11/10/2022

Sources

Heart Sounds and Murmurs Across the Lifespan (with CD) by Dr Barbara Ann Erickson
Publisher: Mosby
ISBN-10: 0323020453; ISBN-13: 978-0323020459
Heart Sounds and Murmurs: A Practical Guide with Audio CD-ROM 3rd Edition
Elsevier-Health Sciences Division
Barbara A. Erickson, PhD, RN, CCRN
Heart and Lung Sounds Reference Guide
PracticalClinicalSkills.com
Heart Sounds Made Easy with CD-ROM: (with CD-ROM) 2nd Edition
Anthony P. Salmon
ISBN-13: 978-0443069079
NCBI Review of Heart Sounds and Murmurs: A Practical Guide
The Virtual Cardiac Patient: A Multimedia Guide to Heart Sounds And Murmurs Jonathan Keroes, David Lieberman
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkin)
ISBN-10: 0781784425; ISBN-13: 978-0781784429
Ventricular Function Curves in the Exercising Dog
JONATHAN KEROES , ROGER R. ECKER , and ELLIOT RAPAPORT
Circulation Research, Vol. 25, No. 5
Electrocardiographic changes associated with ritodrine-induced maternal tachycardia and hypokalemia American Journal of Obstetrics Gynecology, VOLUME 154, ISSUE 4, P921-923, APRIL 01, 1986
Susan K Hendricks, MD, Jonathan Keroes, MD, Michael Katz, MD
A Multimedia Guide to Heart Sounds and Murmurs
January 2007 JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association 297(2):217-218
DOI:10.1001/jama.297.2.217. M. Saleem Seyal, MD, Reviewer
Clinical Heart Disease W Proctor Harvey, MD