EKG AcquisitionQuestion 44 of 100
A tracing shows a uniform, thick, fuzzy baseline with small spikes occurring exactly 60 times per second across all leads. What is the most likely cause?
a.The patient is shivering
b.The electrodes are dried out
c.The patient is breathing deeply
d.Electrical interference from nearby powered equipment
Explanation
Sixty-cycle interference is alternating current picked up from nearby electrical devices, cords, or fluorescent lights, and it produces a perfectly regular fuzzy band at 60 hertz in the affected leads. Shivering produces irregular jagged somatic tremor rather than a uniform pattern. Deep breathing causes a slow wandering baseline, and dried electrodes produce erratic noise or a flat trace in one lead.
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