EKG certification Certification EKG Equipment & Artifact Troubleshooting

Question 1

What is the standard paper speed used for a resting 12-lead EKG in the United States?

Accepted Answer

25 mm/sec

Answer

The standard paper speed for a resting 12-lead EKG in the US is 25 mm/sec, making each small box equal to 0.04 seconds.

Question 2

Which artifact pattern on an EKG is most commonly caused by AC (alternating current) electrical interference?

Accepted Answer

60-cycle interference producing a thick, fuzzy baseline

Answer

AC interference produces a characteristic 60-cycle per second artifact that appears as a thick, uniform fuzz on the baseline.

Question 3

What is the standard sensitivity setting on most EKG machines?

Accepted Answer

10 mm/mV

Answer

The standard sensitivity for EKG recording is 10 mm/mV, meaning a 1 mV signal produces a 10 mm deflection on the paper.

Question 4

A wandering baseline artifact on an EKG is most likely caused by:

Accepted Answer

Electrode movement or poor skin preparation

Answer

Wandering baseline is most often caused by electrode movement, poor adhesion, or inadequate skin preparation such as not cleaning the electrode site.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the purpose of EKG machine calibration?

Accepted Answer

To ensure the machine records a 1 mV signal as exactly 10 mm deflection

Answer

Calibration ensures accuracy by confirming that a standard 1 mV test pulse produces the expected 10 mm deflection on the recording.

EKG certification Practice Test