What occurs in an Atrial Paced rhythm?

In an Atrial Paced rhythm, the defining characteristic is that a pacing spike is observed before the P wave. This indicates that an artificial pacemaker is stimulating the atria to depolarize, causing the heart's electrical activity to initiate in the atria rather than the natural pacemaker, the sinoatrial (SA) node.

The presence of the spike before the P wave confirms that the atrial contraction is being paced electronically. This timing is crucial because it differentiates atrial pacing from other forms of pacing or native rhythms. In contrast, if the pacing spike appears before the QRS complex, it would suggest ventricular pacing, which is not the focus here.

Additionally, while the absence of P waves or simultaneous atrial and ventricular spikes can occur in other types of rhythms or conditions, they do not accurately represent the characteristics of an Atrial Paced rhythm, where the focus is specifically on the relationship between the pacing spike and the P wave.