NTA NTA Telemetry Equipment and Technology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the most important skin preparation step before applying telemetry electrodes?
- Apply moisturizing lotion
- Clean and dry the skin, clipping hair if necessary (Correct answer)
- Warm the skin with a heating pad
- Apply talcum powder to the site
Correct answer: Clean and dry the skin, clipping hair if necessary
Cleaning and drying the skin, and clipping chest hair if present, maximizes electrode adhesion and produces the clearest signal.
Question 2: Which monitoring lead is preferred for detecting bundle branch blocks in telemetry patients?
- Lead I
- Lead II
- MCL1 (V1 equivalent) (Correct answer)
- Lead aVR
Correct answer: MCL1 (V1 equivalent)
MCL1, which approximates lead V1, best demonstrates QRS morphology changes characteristic of right and left bundle branch blocks.
Question 3: What is the purpose of alarm threshold settings on a telemetry monitor?
- To mute nuisance alarms automatically
- To alert staff when heart rate or rhythm exceeds defined safe limits (Correct answer)
- To record blood pressure trends
- To control pacemaker output settings
Correct answer: To alert staff when heart rate or rhythm exceeds defined safe limits
Alarm thresholds are customized upper and lower heart rate limits that trigger an alert when the patient's rhythm moves outside the safe range.
Question 4: What is the typical transmission range of most hospital telemetry systems?
- Only within the same room (under 20 feet)
- Approximately 300–1000 feet depending on the system (Correct answer)
- Unlimited range throughout the facility
- No more than 10 feet
Correct answer: Approximately 300–1000 feet depending on the system
Most hospital telemetry systems are designed with a 300–1000 foot range, sufficient to cover a typical inpatient nursing unit.
Question 5: What does a slowly wandering baseline on a telemetry strip most commonly indicate?
- Ventricular fibrillation
- Poor electrode contact or patient respiratory movement (Correct answer)
- Atrial flutter
- Normal sinus rhythm variation
Correct answer: Poor electrode contact or patient respiratory movement
A wandering baseline is caused by poor electrode adhesion, patient movement, or respiratory motion shifting the baseline up and down slowly.
Question 6: What does the 'freeze' or 'hold' feature on a telemetry monitor allow a technician to do?
- Stop the patient's heart rate display
- Pause the rhythm display on screen for review and documentation (Correct answer)
- Lock the printer mechanism
- Silence all alarms temporarily
Correct answer: Pause the rhythm display on screen for review and documentation
The freeze feature pauses the live rhythm display, allowing the technician to examine a specific segment of the strip before printing or documenting.
NTA NTA Telemetry Equipment and Technology 2
What is the most important skin preparation step before applying telemetry electrodes?