When using the Six-Second Rule, what calculation do you perform after counting R waves?

The Six-Second Rule is a method used in interpreting ECGs to estimate the heart rate when analyzing a rhythm strip. When you apply this rule, you first count the number of R waves (the upward spikes representing ventricular depolarization) in a six-second segment of the ECG.

After counting the R waves, the next step involves converting that count into a heart rate. Since the six-second strip provides a fraction of a full minute (which contains 60 seconds), you would multiply the number of R waves by 10 to estimate the heart rate in beats per minute. This is because there are ten six-second intervals in one minute, thus taking the count of R waves over this short period and extrapolating it to a full minute gives a more accurate depiction of the heart's activity.

This is why multiplying by 10 is the appropriate calculation to perform following the R wave count in the Six-Second Rule.