CET EKG Technician Skills and Knowledge Base 3

Question 1

What does ST segment elevation in two or more contiguous leads typically indicate?

Accepted Answer

Acute myocardial infarction or injury

Answer

ST elevation in contiguous leads is the hallmark of acute myocardial injury (STEMI) and requires immediate clinical attention.

Question 2

When recording a 12-lead EKG, the standard paper speed in the United States is:

Accepted Answer

25 mm/sec

Answer

Standard EKG paper speed in the US is 25 mm/sec, meaning each small box horizontally equals 0.04 seconds.

Question 3

A patient's EKG shows a sawtooth baseline at 300 bpm with a ventricular rate of 150 bpm. This rhythm is:

Accepted Answer

Atrial flutter with 2:1 block

Answer

Atrial flutter typically shows a sawtooth pattern at ~300 bpm; with 2:1 conduction, the ventricular rate is ~150 bpm.

Question 4

Which artifact on an EKG tracing is most commonly caused by patient movement or muscle tremor?

Accepted Answer

Somatic tremor artifact

Answer

Somatic tremor artifact, from voluntary or involuntary muscle activity, produces an irregular, fuzzy baseline distortion.

Question 5

On a standard EKG, the amplitude (voltage) calibration is set so that 1 mV equals:

Accepted Answer

10 mm

Answer

Standard EKG calibration is 1 mV = 10 mm (two large boxes) vertically.

(CET) Certified EKG Technician Practice Test