Deck 4: Technical Aspects of the Ekg

Question 1

If artifact is present in leads I,II,and AVR,the most likely source of the artifact is on the

A)Right arm.
B)Left arm.
C)Right leg.
D)Left leg.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Somatic tremor artifact is commonly caused by

A)Patient movement.
B)Respirations.
C)Lotion on the skin interfering with the signal.
D)Electrical interference.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Your patient is smiling and visiting with family,but the cardiac monitor shows that the patient's heart has completely stopped.The rhythm on the monitor is thus

A)Artifact.
B)A life-threatening emergency.
C)Dangerous,but it can wait awhile.
D)"Toothbrush tachycardia."

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The most important benefit of a three-channel recorder when doing a 12-lead EKG is

A)It is less work for the technician.
B)All leads can be recorded simultaneously.
C)Three leads can be recorded before changing the paper.
D)It is less painful for the patient.

Question 5

Muscle artifact can be minimized by monitoring the patient in lead

A)I.
B)II.
C)AVR.
D)V1 or MCL1.

Question 6

Muscle artifact is seen most often in

A)The precordial leads.
B)The frontal leads.
C)Leads whose positive electrode is on the right leg.
D)Leads whose negative electrode is on the right arm.

Question 7

Your patient for a 12-lead EKG has no legs as a result of bilateral amputations.Where should you put the leg electrodes?

A)On the arms
B)On the lower abdomen above where the legs would be
C)On the artificial legs
D)On the upper chest

Question 8

The artifact caused by the jiggling of wires during toothbrushing is called

A)CPR artifact.
B)"Toothbrush asystole."
C)PVCs.
D)"Toothbrush Tachycardia."

Question 9

Your patient is having chills.What kind of artifact can this produce?

A)60-cycle interference
B)Baseline sway
C)Broken recording
D)Somatic tremors

Question 10

Some modern EKG machines are Bluetooth-capable,allowing EMS workers to

A)Listen to their favorite music station while on the job.
B)Control the artifact on the EKG.
C)Hear the EKG's interpretation via special headphones.
D)Transmit the EKG to the nearest hospital so workers can prepare for the patient's arrival.

Question 11

Electrical shock is LEAST likely to be caused by which of the following?

A)Frayed electrical cord on the EKG machine
B)Broken grounding prong on the electrical cord
C)Properly maintained EKG machine
D)Ungrounded hospital bed on which the patient is lying

Question 12

If your patient's cardiac rhythm is life-threatening,your FIRST action should be to

A)Check the monitor wires and patches.
B)Exchange the cardiac monitor for a new one.
C)Check the patient-assess vital signs and see how he/she feels.
D)Notify the family of the patient's deteriorating condition.

Question 13

On your patient's 12-lead EKG,lead I's waves and complexes are completely negative.AVR's waves and complexes are completely positive.The most likely cause of this is

A)Dextrocardia (Heart is on the right side of the body instead of the left).
B)Axis deviation from an MI.
C)Axis deviation from ventricular tachycardia.
D)Right and left arm leads inadvertently reversed.

Question 14

If there is artifact in leads II,III,and AVF,on which limb(s)would you expect to find the cause of the artifact?

A)Right arm
B)Right arm and left leg
C)Left leg
D)Left arm

Question 15

The "gain" setting on the EKG machine is concerned with

A)The amplitude of the waves and complexes.
B)The size of the patient.
C)Einthoven's law.
D)Electrical conduction through the bundle branches.

Question 16

A digital converter on the EKG machine

A)Controls the amount of artifact.
B)Controls the calibration of the machine.
C)Is the pen that prints out the EKG tracing.
D)Converts the analog signal to a digital one.

Question 17

Normal paper speed for printing out the EKG is

A)25 mm/sec.
B)50 mm/sec.
C)10 mm/sec.
D)20 mm/sec.

Question 18

A patient is short of breath and his nurse tells you he must have the head of bed (HOB)at 90 degrees for his 12-lead EKG.You

A)Leave,telling the nurse to call you when the HOB can be lowered flat.
B)Roll the HOB flat and do the EKG,then roll the HOB back up.
C)Call the physician and ask why the HOB can't be lowered.
D)Do the EKG at 90 degrees and document this position on the EKG.

Question 19

The most common cause for the P wave,QRS complex,and T wave to be inverted in lead I is

A)Dextrocardia.
B)Incorrect lead placement.
C)Myocardial infarction.
D)Left bundle branch block.

Question 20

Sixty-cycle interference is commonly caused by

A)Patient movement.
B)Respirations.
C)Lotion on the skin interfering with the signal.
D)Electrical interference.

Question 21

Electrically speaking,the heart is a

A)Transmitter.
B)Receiver.
C)Cable.
D)Galvanometer.

Question 22

Small adhesive patches with conductive gel on the skin side are

A)Cables.
B)Electrodes.
C)Conduits.
D)Oscilloscopes.

Question 23

Using an EKG machine with frayed wires is not dangerous if the wires are taped together.

Question 24

Artifact is a sign that the patient is in distress.

Question 25

It is possible to have artifact in the midst of a dangerous rhythm.

Question 26

Macroshock and microshock are two kinds of electrical shock the patient can sustain from faulty equipment.

Question 27

CPR artifact is seen only during CPR.

Question 28

Artifact is an unwanted interference or jitter on the EKG tracing.

Question 29

If artifact is seen in leads I,III,and AVL,the problem is on which limb?

A)Right arm
B)Right leg
C)Left arm
D)Left leg

Question 30

Life-threatening dysrhythmias will cause symptoms of decreased cardiac output.

Question 31

Artifact can mimic dysrhythmias.

Question 32

"Toothbrush tachycardia" can be lethal.

Question 33

Artifact in Leads I,III,and AVL is caused by a loose or detached electrode patch or wire on the left arm.

Question 34

To minimize artifact,what must be done?

A)Attach electrode patches securely
B)Tell the patient not to breathe during the EKG
C)Tell the patient not to move during the EKG
D)All but B

Question 35

Artifact does not cause symptoms of decreased cardiac output.

Question 36

Sometimes,the presence of artifact can be verified by changing the lead.

Question 37

If you think the rhythm is artifact,check your patient for any symptoms of decreased cardiac output first,then check his monitor wires and patches and observe the rhythm in another lead.

Question 38

Microshock is different from macroshock in that microshock is

A)A higher-voltage electrical shock.
B)A lower-voltage electrical shock.
C)Caused by inadequate grounding of electrical equipment.
D)Incapable of causing death.

Question 39

A rhythm that looks lethal cannot be artifact.

Question 40

Chills can cause somatic tremor artifact.

Question 41

Broken recording is caused by _____.

Question 42

If artifact is seen in leads I,III,and AVL,you should direct your corrective efforts to which limb or limbs? _____.

Question 43

Electrically speaking,the EKG machine is a _____ and the heart is a transmitter.

Question 44

The EKG machine control feature that controls the size of the waves and complexes is the _____.

Question 45

The word "somatic" means _____.

Question 46

A thick-looking pattern on the EKG paper that looks like someone used a thick Magic Marker to write the baseline is typical of what kind of artifact? _____.

Question 47

Baseline sway is caused by lotion or sweat on the skin interfering with the _____ reaching the EKG machine.

Question 48

Troubleshooting involves determining and alleviating the cause of _____.

Question 49

CPR artifact is caused by chest compressions obscuring the real _______.

Question 50

_____ is unwanted jitter or interference on the EKG tracing.