3 Lead, 12 Lead ECGs and Interpretation Flashcards
Why do a 3 lead ECG?
Why do a 12 lead ECG
3 lead ECG
- cardiac, pulmonary, electrolyte problems
- monitoring pre, post-op
- 24hr ambulatory monitoring for arrythmias
12 lead ECG
-diagnostic tool for arrythmias, cardiac events, cardiac arrest
Introduction and preparation for 3 and 12 lead
WIPE - 45deg
Hello, I’m An Nakamura, a 3rd year medical student.
Can I confirm your name and DOB?
I’d like to do a 3 lead ECG on you
I will be putting 3 stickers on your chest and recording the electrical activity of your heart. It will not hurt but I would like you to lower your gown so I can put the stickers on your chest.
Will this be ok?
Do you have any questions?
Are you in any pain?
If necassery, use razors to remove excess hair in places you’d like to place the electrodes
If oily, wipe with soap and water => air dry
Rub skin with gauze => remove dead skin, improve contact where you’ll place electrodes
Application of electrodes for 3 lead
Connect leads to cable and monitor
-ensure correct colours are connected to the right body parts
WHITE => RA above clavicle
BLACK => LA above clavicle
RED => just above and left of umbilicus
Avoid areas where muscle movement, bony prominences, skin folds could disrupt readings
3 lead ECG monitoring
- what lead would you monitor normally
- what lead would you monitor in bundle branch block/wide complex beats
In most cases, monitor in Lead II
Monitor bundle branch block/wide complex beats
-LL (RED) => 4ICS right sternal border
How would you adjust the 3 lead ECG monitor
What would you notes down in the records
Set monitor alarm for 20 beats higher and lower than HR
Obtain a 6s strip at
- the start of monitoring
- when rhythm changes
- when monitoring lead is changed
Note when ECG monitoring
- has been started, discontinued
- reasons
- lead selections
- rhythm interpretations
- PR, QRS, QT measurements
Place strip in patient’s records
Application of electrodes for 12 lead ECG
- chest leads
- limb leads
Razor away chest hair, prepare skin for good contact
V1 R4ICS V2 L4ICS V4 L5ICS MCL V3 between 2 and 4 V5 L AAL V6 L MAL
V1-3 in horizontal line
V4-6 in oblique line
R wrist => Red
L wrist => Yellow
R ankle => Green
L ankle => Black
12 lead ECG machine use
-how would you it and get a reading
Switch on ECG machine
Ensure paper loaded
Ask patient to stay still and quiet whilst recording
-if poor, check electrodes and repeat
Switch off ECG, detach leads from electrodes
Remove electrodes
Tells patients when procedure is finished, offer to help them get dressed
Wash hands
Label ECG with patient’s details
How would you interpret the ECG
-structure
Rate => tachy, Brady? Rhythm => regular, irregular? Axis => L or R P wave found? PR interval? => type of block QRS => narrow/broad, tall/short ST => elevation/depression T => tall, inverted? Summarise abnormalities, differentials
12 lead Interpretation
1. Detail check
Patient name
DOB
Presenting symptoms
ECG date and time
Calibration check
- speed 25mm/s
- voltage - analogue peak 10mm/mV (2 large squares tall)
12 lead interpretation
2. Rate and rhythm check
Use rhythm strip
Rate
-regular => 300/no of big squares between 2 Rs
-irregular => 6R
Rhythm Sinus? => P and QRS in all waves -can be regular or irregular Regularity of irregularity? -regularly irregular -irregularly irregular
Reasons for
- bradycardia
- tachycardia
Bradycardia - U60
- physical fitness
- hypothermia
- hypothyroid
- SAN problem
- Bb, digoxin
Tachycardia - 100+
- exercise
- pain
- anxiety
- pregnancy
- anemia
- PE
- hypovolemia
- fever/sepsis
- hyperthyroid
Rhythm issues
-possible findings and how you’d recognise them
Sinus arrythmia - normal in young people
AF => no P, fibrillations, irregularly irregular
Atrial flutter => regularly irregular, saw tooth baseline
SVT => abnormal/no P, narrow complex tachycardia
VT => broad complex tachy, no P
VF => chaotic tachy
12 lead ECG interpretation
3. Axis
I, III
Both positive => normal
Both negative => extreme
Towards => RA
Away => LA
Axis issues
- reasons for left axis deviation
- reasons for right axis deviation
Left - LVH
- LBBB
- WPW
Right - RVH
12 lead ECG interpretation
4. P wave - what can you tell from this?
Do they exist?
Height - U2 ss
Shape
-peaked => right atrial enlargement, typically in pulmonary HTN from lung disease
-p pulmonale
-bifid (m) => dyssynchrony between R and LA depolarisation, LA enlargement, typically from mitral stenosis
-p mitrale
Not there - AF?