3 lead ecg placement and preparation
Skin preparation
Proper skin prep is essential to obtain good quality tracing:
- Choose designated chest electrode placement sites
- Avoid placing electrodes over bony prominences i.e. clavicles
- To enhance electrode skin contact and patient comfort:
- Clip /shave excess chest hair in a 1-2 cm diameter of the designated electrode site, if necessary, with the patients consent
- With a dry swab, gently clean /abrade electrode sites to remove loose skin cells, body oil, sweat and improve skin/electrode contact
- If alcohol pad is used to cleanse skin, allow to site to dry, before electrode placement. ECG Electrodes are small sensor pads (self adhesive,disposable, pre gelled) applied on the skin to enable detection of the electrical activity of the heart, which is transmitted to the monitor, amplified and displayed as the ECG trace
3 lead ECG cable Placement (there are two ways)
Way 1
Monitors one of the three leads:
- RA: placed the red electrode within the frame of rib cage,right under the clavicle near shoulder( see chart in follow picture)
- LA: the yellow electrode is placed below left clavicle, which is in the same level of the Red electrode
- LL: green electrode is located on the left side,under the pectoral muscles, lower edge of left rib cage
Way 2
Arrange the placement of the 3 electrode according to Eindhoven,s Triangle:
RA:place the red electrode at the Atrial Depolarization
LA:place the LA electrode at the right arm,under the right shoulder Clavicle
LL:Left leg
Note:different manufacturer may define didfferent elctrodes in different color.Please follow the manucturer,s instructure to place.
3 lead ecg placement tutor video
technical specification
Items | Specification |
Products name | |
Model | EC203S |
Conductor | Material:Tinned or Silvered Tinsel+KEVLAR |
Specification:7/0.23+200D KEVLAR | |
Insulation | Material:HDPE |
Nom.Thickness:0.34 | |
Nom.O.D.:ø01.40士0.05 | |
Colour:White/Black/Red | |
Conducting Layer | Material:Semiconductive PVC |
Nom.Thickness:0.1 | |
Specificationø1.6士0.08 | |
Colour:Black | |
Shield | Material:Tinned copper |
Specification:50士3/0.10TC | |
Coverage:>90% | |
Jacket | MaterialTPU |
Nom.Thickness:0.72 | |
Nom.O.D.:ø3.2士0.10/9.6士0.20 | |
Colour:Matte Gray |
Where should LL and RL electrodes be placed?
Place LL (red) electrode on the lower left abdomen within the rib cage frame. Place RL (green) electrode on lower right abdomen within the rib cage frame.
Where is V5 lead placed?
To place the electrode for lead V5 start in the intercostal space associated with lead V4 (5th intercostal space) and move to the left to an imaginary line associated with the front portion of the armpit going down toward the anterior hip. Hence, V5 is in the 5th intercostal space, anterior axillary line.