Practice Test Geeks(CET) Certified Electrocardiogram Technician Practice Test
← All CET Flashcard Decks

Lead Placement & Recording Procedures Flashcards

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

Read the first 7 Lead Placement & Recording Procedures flashcards as text

  1. Which of the following electrode color codes is correct according to the AHA (American Heart Association) standard?

    Answer: RA = white, LA = black, RL = green, LL = red

    The AHA standard assigns white to RA, black to LA, green to RL, and red to LL — recalled with the mnemonic 'White on Right, Smoke over Fire' (black over red on left).

  2. A posterior ECG (leads V7–V9) is indicated primarily to evaluate:

    Answer: Posterior wall myocardial infarction

    Posterior leads V7–V9 are placed on the patient's back to detect ST-elevation indicative of posterior MI, which may appear only as ST depression in standard precordial leads.

  3. When recording an ECG on a patient with a pacemaker, what specific concern should the technician note?

    Answer: Artifact from the pacemaker may mimic bundle branch block morphology

    Pacemaker spikes followed by wide QRS complexes can resemble bundle branch blocks, so the technician must document the presence of a pacemaker on the ECG requisition.

  4. The augmented limb leads (aVR, aVL, aVF) differ from standard limb leads in that they:

    Answer: Use an exploring electrode and a computed reference (central terminal)

    Augmented leads are unipolar; each uses one limb electrode as the positive (exploring) pole and a computed average of the other two limb electrodes as the negative reference (Wilson's central terminal variant).

  5. If LA and RA leads are accidentally reversed, which lead combination will appear MOST abnormal compared to the others?

    Answer: Lead I and aVR

    RA/LA reversal inverts Lead I and swaps aVR and aVL; Lead I becomes negative and aVR appears as a near-normal Lead I, which is the most immediately obvious diagnostic clue.

  6. What is the recommended minimum duration a patient should rest before a resting 12-lead ECG is recorded?

    Answer: 5 minutes

    A minimum 5-minute supine rest is recommended so that heart rate and autonomic tone stabilize, reducing exercise-induced or postural rate changes that could confound interpretation.

  7. Which of the following is the proper instruction to give a patient immediately before recording the ECG?

    Answer: 'Lie still, breathe normally, and do not talk or move.'

    Patients should breathe normally and remain completely still; talking, movement, or breath-holding all introduce artifact that degrades tracing quality.