Cardiovascular Disorders and Treatment Practice Test 2026 – The All-in-One Guide to Mastering Your Exam Success!

The P wave reflects atrial depolarization—the electrical activation spreading through the atrial myocardium as the atria prepare to contract and push blood into the ventricles. This happens just before the ventricles depolarize, which is seen as the QRS complex. A normal P wave is a small, smooth deflection that precedes each QRS. In contrast, ventricular depolarization is the QRS complex, and ventricular repolarization is the T wave. Atrial repolarization does occur, but its signal is typically masked by the larger ventricular depolarization and not seen as a separate deflection.