Certified Rhythm Analysis Technician (CRAT) Practice Exam

What should be done for a patient with dextrocardia requiring an ECG?

1. The limb leads and chest leads should be reversed, or a mirror image of the usual chest placement.

2. Place the chest leads in the usual position and rate the limb leads to opposite sides.

3. The chest leads should be reversed or a mirror image of the usual chest lead placement.

4. Do not change the placement of any leads but explain the procedure in simple terms to the patient.

The correct answer is: The limb leads and chest leads should be reversed, or a mirror image of the usual chest placement.

In patients with dextrocardia, the heart is oriented towards the right side of the chest instead of the left, which can complicate the standard placement of ECG leads. For an accurate reading, it is important to either reverse the limb leads and chest leads or use a mirror image of the usual chest lead positions. This ensures that the electrical signals from the heart are recorded correctly, allowing for proper interpretation of the ECG results. Using a mirror image technique for chest lead placement accommodates the anatomical arrangement of the heart in dextrocardia while still allowing for the limb leads to maintain their effective configuration to gather accurate data from the torso. This adjustment is essential for avoiding misinterpretation that can stem from standard lead placement in patients with this condition. The other options fail to take into account the necessary adjustments needed for accurate ECG readings in dextrocardia. Placing leads in their usual positions without modification would lead to significant discrepancies in the results, potentially compromising patient care. Thus, the correct adaptation allows healthcare professionals to adequately assess heart function in patients with this unique anatomy.