Final answer:
To eliminate interference on an EKG tracing, a technician should ensure the patient is calm and still, check electrode placement, minimize nearby electrical device usage, ground the ECG equipment properly, and check for damaged leads or cables.
Step-by-step explanation:
To reduce interference on an EKG tracing, the technician can take several steps. First, ensuring that the patient is relaxed and lying still can minimize muscle artifact, which is a common source of noise. Setting up the environment to be as quiet as possible without interruptions is also helpful, as external electrical noises can be picked up by the monitor. Ensuring that the electrode placement is correct and that the electrodes have good contact with the skin is crucial as poor contact can result in artifact.
Additionally, electrical devices in the vicinity should be limited or removed if they are known to cause interference. Proper grounding of the ECG equipment can prevent interference from other electronic devices. Occasionally, adjusting the gain on the ECG machine can help differentiate real cardiac electrical activity from noise. In the case of ECG machines that allow for such adjustment, the technician could manipulate the resistance (R) and capacitance (C) in the circuit to better capture the necessary data. Higher resistance or lower capacitance could increase the time constant, allowing for better differentiation of the electrical signals of interest. Finally, the technician should inspect the leads and cables for damage that might cause static or interruptions in signal transmission.