ECG Recording

Indications

Assessment of chest pain and other cardiovascular disorders.

Equipment

ECG machine, sticky contacts

Routine

1. Introduce, explain the procedure, obtain consent. The patient must have a bare chest, and stay as still as possible during the recording.
2. The colour-coded limb leads are attached as follows:
• I: Right arm (Ride = Red lead)
• Il: Left arm (Your = Yellow lead)
• III: Left leg (Green = Green lead)
• Right leg (Bike = Black lead)
3. The chest leads are positioned as follows:
• V1: Fourth intercostal space at the right sternal border. (First palpable intercostals space, below the clavicle is the 2nd intercostal space.)
  
• V2: Fourth intercostal space at the left sternal border
  
• V3: Midway between V2 and V4
  
• V4: Fifth intercostal space in the midclavicular line
  
• V5: Anterior axillary line at the same horizontal level as V4
  
• V6: Mid-axillary line at the same horizontal plane as V4 
4. Start recording the trace, ensuring the machine is set to a speed of 25 mm/s and a sensitivity of 1mV = 10 mm

Interpreting ECGs

Some practical advice is given here .