Question

An ekg tech is preparing to preform a standard 12 lead ekg tracing on a patient who has a heart rate of 150/min. Which of the following speed controls should the tech select?

1. 5 mm/sec
2. 10 mm/sec
3. 25 mm/sec
4. 50 mm/sec

Answer 1

The ekg tech should select the speed control of 25 mm/sec to perform a standard 12 lead ekg tracing on a patient with a heart rate of 150/min.

Step-by-step explanation:

The ekg tech should select the speed control of 25 mm/sec to perform a standard 12 lead ekg tracing on a patient with a heart rate of 150/min.

The speed control affects the paper speed of the EKG machine, determining how fast the tracing is printed. A speed control of 25 mm/sec is commonly used for standard 12 lead EKGs. This speed allows for a clear and accurate tracing of the electrical activity of the heart.

Higher speed controls, such as 50 mm/sec, would result in a faster tracing printout, making it more challenging to interpret the EKG accurately. Slower speed controls, such as 10 mm/sec or 5 mm/sec, would result in a slower printout, but may not capture the fine details of the EKG waveform.