CET CET Patient Preparation & Safety

Question 1

What is the primary reason for instructing a patient to remain still during an ECG recording?

Accepted Answer

To prevent motion artifact from contaminating the tracing

Answer

Patient movement creates skeletal muscle artifact that can mimic or obscure cardiac rhythms on the tracing.

Question 2

Before applying ECG electrodes, what skin preparation step most directly improves signal quality?

Accepted Answer

Clean and dry the skin, removing excess hair if necessary

Answer

Proper skin preparation reduces impedance and improves electrode contact, resulting in a cleaner tracing.

Question 3

What is the standard patient position for a resting 12-lead ECG?

Accepted Answer

Supine (lying flat) with arms at the sides

Answer

The supine position standardizes the ECG recording and eliminates positional variation in waveform morphology.

Question 4

Which statement best describes informed consent requirements for a routine ECG?

Accepted Answer

The patient should be informed of the procedure and its non-invasive nature

Answer

Patients should understand what the procedure involves even though ECG is non-invasive and carries minimal risk.

Question 5

What is the correct action if a patient reports an adhesive allergy during ECG preparation?

Accepted Answer

Substitute hypoallergenic or non-adhesive electrodes to complete the test

Answer

Hypoallergenic electrodes can be substituted to safely complete the ECG for patients with adhesive allergies.

(CET) Certified Electrocardiogram Technician Practice Test