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Artifact Recognition and Troubleshooting Flashcards

7 cards from real CCT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. Dried or insufficient electrode gel is most likely to cause:

    Answer: Increased skin-electrode impedance and poor signal quality

    Dried electrode gel increases skin-electrode impedance, leading to poor signal quality, increased artifact, and unreliable tracings.

  2. Reversal of the left arm (LA) and right arm (RA) electrodes would most likely produce:

    Answer: Inverted P wave and negative QRS in lead I with swapped leads II and III

    Swapping LA and RA reverses the polarity of lead I, causing inverted P waves and QRS in lead I, and effectively swaps leads II and III.

  3. Intermittent baseline wander that correlates with the respiratory cycle is best corrected by:

    Answer: Checking and improving electrode-skin contact and adhesion

    Respiratory baseline wander is typically caused by poor electrode-skin contact; improving skin preparation and electrode adhesion resolves the artifact.

  4. A patient with Parkinson's disease undergoing an ECG is most likely to exhibit which type of artifact?

    Answer: Somatic tremor artifact due to involuntary muscle movement

    Parkinson's disease causes involuntary resting tremors that appear as somatic tremor artifact on the ECG tracing.

  5. Which of the following BEST describes the appearance of somatic tremor artifact on an ECG?

    Answer: Irregular, variable oscillations that can obscure the baseline and waveforms

    Somatic tremor produces irregular, variable oscillations arising from muscle electrical activity that can obscure and mimic cardiac waveforms.

  6. Which skin preparation technique is MOST effective in reducing ECG artifact?

    Answer: Lightly abrading the skin and wiping with alcohol to remove oils and dead cells

    Lightly abrading the skin and wiping with alcohol removes dead skin cells and oils, significantly reducing impedance and improving electrode contact quality.

  7. To reduce somatic tremor artifact in an anxious or cold patient, the technician should FIRST:

    Answer: Reassure the patient, ensure warmth, and allow time to relax before recording

    Addressing patient comfort and anxiety through reassurance and warmth reduces muscle tension at its source before resorting to technical workarounds.