What will the EKG display in a patient with a heterotrophic heart transplant?

What will the EKG display in a patient with a heterotrophic heart transplant?

• A. Electrical activity of one heart
• B. No electrical activity recorded
• C. Simultaneous activity of two hearts
• D. Inverted EKG pattern

Answer: (C)

In the case of a heterotrophic heart transplant, the normal physiology involves the placement of a donor heart alongside the recipient's own heart. This means that both hearts remain functional and can generate electrical impulses. Consequently, the EKG will display electrical activity from both the donor heart and the recipient heart.

On the EKG, this situation is characterized by the presence of two separate sets of electrical activity—each heart contributing its own rhythms. The donor heart may exhibit a normal sinus rhythm, while the recipient's heart may still attempt to function, leading to observed activity from both sources. Thus, the EKG effectively captures the simultaneous electrical activity of two hearts, making it the correct interpretation of the EKG findings in such a scenario.

The other options do not represent the situation accurately; for instance, one heart would not solely define the scenario, as both hearts contribute to the EKG. Similarly, a lack of electrical activity or an inverted EKG pattern would not occur in a functioning heterotrophic transplant. Therefore, the presence of simultaneous electrical activity underscores the unique context of a heterotrophic heart transplant.