Describe termination for a monitoring zone episode.

• A. 3 consecutive fast beats
• B. 5 consecutive slow or paced beats
• C. 4 consecutive paced beats
• D. 6 consecutive slow beats

Answer: (B)

Termination of a monitoring zone episode is defined by five consecutive slow or paced beats, which shows the heart has returned to a non-tachycardic rhythm. This ensures the episode ends only after a clear return to normal rate, avoiding premature stopping from brief dips or irregularities. In practice, once five consecutive beats are slower than the tachycardia threshold (or are paced at a non-tachycardic rate), the episode is considered terminated and the device stops counting it for therapy purposes. Other cutoffs or beat types would either terminate too early or not reliably indicate a true return to normal rhythm.