Safety & ProfessionalismQuestion 99 of 100
An outpatient's routine 12-lead shows a run of ventricular tachycardia, but the patient feels fine and asks to leave. What should the technician do?
a.Keep the patient in the department and notify the physician or nurse immediately about the critical finding
b.Give the patient the tracing and let him take it to his next appointment
c.Repeat the tracing until a normal one is obtained, then release the patient
d.Reassure the patient and let him leave, filing the tracing for review later
Explanation
A critical finding such as ventricular tachycardia is reported to the provider immediately and the patient is kept under observation, because a symptom-free patient can deteriorate without warning. Filing the tracing for later review delays urgent care. Repeating the study until it looks normal conceals a real finding, and handing the tracing to the patient shifts a clinical responsibility onto him.
Practice all 100 questions free — no signup required.
Related questions on this topic
- Which instructions should a patient receive before a scheduled exercise stress test?
- An anxious patient is trembling and asks whether the EKG will shock her. What is the best response?
- A competent adult patient refuses to allow an ordered EKG. What should the technician do?
- A technician sustains a needlestick-free but bloody scratch from a broken bed rail while positioning a patient. What is the required response?
- A technician notices she wrote the wrong date on a completed paper EKG record. How should the correction be made?
- Which action best reflects professional behavior for an EKG technician?
Last reviewed: · editorial process
PrepPass Editorial Team · Verified against NHA Certified EKG Technician (CET) Exam · How we review