Recording an EKG Flashcards
The 12 leads are named leads ____
I, II, III, aVR, aVL, aVF, V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, & V6
The two main leads on a 12 lead EKG are:
Limb leads and precordial leads
Even though the EKG prints with 12 different
leads recorded, the machine does this using only ____ electrodes placed in specific places
10
Limb Leads placement
One lead placed on each of the four limbs,
preferably on the forearm/wrists and
shins/ankles.
Precordial Leads placement
Six leads placed across the chest in different locations
The Frontal Plane (coronal) refers to
Envision this as a large circle superimposed on the
patient’s chest, with the circle marked off in degrees.
○ 0 degrees is to the patient’s left.
○ +90 degrees is down and -90 degrees is up
○ 180 degrees is to the patient’s right
Basically, the six limb leads view the electrical forces of
the heart moving ____ through
this frontal plane circle
up and down and left and right
The EKG machine is programmed to use the four limb electrodes to produce the tracings of the six limb leads by variably designating leads as ____
positive and negative
T/F Each lead has its own specific view of the heart
T
____ - Created by making left
arm positive and right arm
negative (Angle = 0 degrees)
Lead I
_____ - Created by making the
legs positive and the right arm
negative (Angle = 60 deg).
Lead II
_____ - Created by making
the legs positive and the left
arm negative (Angle = 120 deg)
Lead III
_____ - Created by making
Left arm positive and all others
negative (Angle = -30 deg)
Lead aVL
____ - Created by making
Right arm positive and all others
negative (Angle = -150 deg)
Lead aVR
____ - Created by making
the Feet positive and the arms
negative (Angle = +90 deg)
Lead aVF
The six Precordial Leads (also called the chest leads) are arranged across the
heart in ____
a Horizontal Plane, helping us see the heart in 3-dimensions
Precordial leads are a little more simple
than the limb leads and record impulses
moving _____
anteriorly and posteriorly
Precordial leads locations
○ V1 - 4th ICS along Right sternal border
○ V2 - 4th ICS along Left sternal border
○ V3 - Mid-way between V2 and V4
○ V4 - 5th ICS at midclavicular line
○ V5 - 5th ICS at anterior axillary line
○ V6 - 5th ICS at midaxillary line
Leads V1-V4 view the ____ wall of the
heart
anterior
V1 and V2 are also said to visualize
the _____ best
interventricular septum
Leads V5 and V6 visualize the _____ wall
of the heart best from their vantage point.
lateral
Inferior Leads
II, III, and aVF
Lateral Leads
I, aVL, V5, and V6
Anterior Leads
V1, V2, V3, and V4
Septal Leads
V1 and V2
a 12-Lead EKG records the
impulses over ____ seconds from 12
different vantage points
6
It’s important to recognize that each EKG electrode records only the
_____. What is this called?
AVERAGE current flow at any given moment
○ We generally call this average the Vector
○ The vector’s angle of orientation represents the average direction of
current flow through the tissue
When the ventricles depolarize, they depolarize from ____ to ____.
right shoulder; left hip
