EKG AcquisitionQuestion 53 of 100
The QRS complexes on a 12-lead tracing are so tall that they run off the paper and overlap the lead above. What is the appropriate action?
a.Increase the paper speed to 50 mm/sec
b.Change the standardization to half sensitivity (5 mm/mV) and document the change on the tracing
c.Move the chest electrodes one intercostal space lower
d.Reduce the gain until the complexes look like the patient's last EKG
Explanation
When complexes are too tall to fit, the machine is switched to half standardization, so 1 millivolt produces a 5 millimeter deflection, and the change must be marked on the tracing so the physician can interpret amplitudes correctly. Increasing paper speed widens complexes but does not lower their height. Moving electrodes falsifies the anatomic view, and adjusting the gain to match a prior tracing is not an accepted practice.
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