What causes an ECG to show artifacts?
Artifact on the electrocardiogram can result from a variety of internal and external causes from Parkinsonian muscle tremors to dry electrode gel. Most of the time it will be obvious that you are dealing with artifact and troubleshooting the problem will be straight forward.
Why do diaphoretics have loose lead?
You will frequently encounter loose lead artifact when dealing with patients who are diaphoretic because the electrodes simply will not stick to the patient’s body. You may also see this type of artifact when placing the electrode over hair.
What to do if you see an artifact?
If you see artifact that looks like this you should ask your patient if he or she has any implantable medical devices. Some devices can be temporarily turned off with a magnet but you should consult with the prescribing physician.
What is the diagnostic frequency of a 12 lead ECG monitor?
To help minimize 60 cycle interference you can set the diagnostic mode of your 12-lead ECG monitor to 0.05 – 40 Hz. As long as the low frequency / high pass filter (the lower number) is set to 0.05 Hz you should get accurate ST-segments.
Why does the artifact occur synchronously with the cardiac cycle on the ECG?
Subsequent work by Aslanger solved the issue in favor of arterial pulse tapping (which explains why the artifact occurs synchronously with the cardiac cycle on the ECG.)
What is the difference between lead I and lead II?
Lead I is a dipole with the negative electrode on the right arm and the positive electrode on the left arm. Lead II is a dipole with the negative lead on the right arm and the positive electrode on the left leg. Lead I and lead II share the right arm electrode! That is the electrode that is causing this problem.
What is EMI in electrical?
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) artifact usually results from electrical power lines, electrical equipment, and mobile telephones. In the United States this is sometimes referred to as 60 cycle interference (or 60 Hz pickup).
