Question

An EKG technician is preparing a patient for a standard 12-lead EKG. Which three leads should the technician place at the same horizontal level? a. Leads V1, V2, and V3 b. Leads V2, V3, and V4 c. Leads V3. V4, and V5 d. Leads V4, V5, and V6

Answer 1

In a standard 12-lead EKG, leads V4, V5, and V6 should be placed at the same horizontal level on the chest by the EKG technician.

An EKG technician preparing a patient for a standard 12-lead EKG should place leads V4, V5, and V6 at the same horizontal level on the chest. This placement is crucial to ensure an accurate reading of the heart's electrical activity from different angles. The correct positioning of these electrodes reflects the electrical waves in the heart, which can indicate the presence of normal or abnormal heart function, detect infarcts, or subtle changes in the heart's condition when comparing recent EKGs to older ones.