EKG (10%)

CPCT/A · 30 questions

A patient care technician is monitoring an older adult on telemetry with a history of dizziness who now reports chest pressure, appears pale and confused, is short of breath, and shows a regular very slow rhythm near 30/min with low blood pressure while leads are confirmed attached. Which immediate response should the technician take for symptomatic bradycardia with cardiopulmonary compromise?
A middle-aged patient in the emergency department is sweaty, has dense chest hair, is breathing fast, and needs a STAT 12-lead EKG while lying still with the bed flat, skin intact, and no implanted device or allergy noted. The monitor shows wandering baseline and loose limb tracings during the first attempt. Which patient preparation and electrode placement step should the PCT perform to obtain an accurate 12-lead tracing?
In a cardiology clinic, a technician applies a 24-hour Holter monitor to an active older adult who showers daily, takes beta blockers, and fears interfering with the tracing. Skin is prepped, electrodes are secure, and the recorder is charged. Which Holter and telemetry monitoring education should the technician provide for this recording period?
A PCT monitors telemetry on a post-cardiac unit and sees a previously stable older adult develop a wide-complex rapid rhythm around 180 beats per minute with no visible P waves and a faint pulse reported by the nurse. Which rhythm recognition and monitoring action best addresses this suspected ventricular tachycardia?
During EKG acquisition for a stable adult with palpitations, the tracing shows distinct P waves, narrow QRS complexes, and upright T waves with a regular rhythm. The nurse asks what electrical events the waveforms represent for documentation. Which description correctly links the cardiac conduction system to the EKG waveform components?
A clinic PCT must obtain a routine 12-lead EKG on a stable adult, the portable machine shows low battery and curled thermal paper, the order specifies standard calibration, and the tracing must allow accurate interval measurement. Which machine operation and paper-speed selection should the PCT use?
In a pediatric outpatient clinic, a calm 9-year-old with a congenital left below-elbow stump needs a 12-lead EKG for a heart murmur, the parent will stay at the bedside, the chest is small, and the right arm is intact for comparison. Which EKG adaptation should the PCT use to obtain an accurate pediatric amputee tracing?
An adult scheduled for preoperative screening needs a resting 12-lead EKG in a chilly outpatient room, has light chest hair and oily skin, and is anxious about exposure and cold electrodes. The order requires a clean tracing with correct anatomical placement. Which patient preparation and electrode placement should the PCT perform for 12-lead acquisition?
On a busy afternoon in a 12-bed step-down unit, a bedside monitor alarms asystole for a postoperative adult who is sitting up, talking, and eating lunch. The tracing shows a flat line with occasional sharp spikes, and the chest electrode edge is visibly lifting with sweat. Which telemetry alarm response best verifies a possible asystole artifact?
A technician fits a 55-year-old cardiac outpatient with a 24-hour Holter monitor after the nurse explains the order for palpitations. The patient worries about showering, exercise, and what to do if electrodes itch. Which monitor application and education should the technician provide for reliable Holter recording?
A PCT monitoring telemetry on a post-surgical unit sees a sudden flatline on the central monitor for a patient who was talking comfortably minutes ago. The bedside monitor shows a loose lead, the patient is pale and difficult to rouse, and the nurse is in another room. Which immediate response best addresses suspected cardiopulmonary compromise during rhythm monitoring?
A clinic PCT must obtain a routine 12-lead EKG using a portable cart unit that was unplugged overnight, with paper loaded but calibration unknown, before a provider visit for a calm adult. The order specifies a standard recording. Which machine operation and maintenance sequence should the PCT use to ensure standard paper speed acquisition?
In an outpatient clinic you are recording a STAT 12-lead EKG on a middle-age adult who is cold, tense, and talking during the tracing. The tracing shows slow rolling baseline drift, fuzzy jagged muscle spikes, and regular sharp 60-cycle spikes. Which artifact-correction action should the PCT take first to obtain a clean EKG tracing?
A middle-aged outpatient is fitted with a 48-hour Holter monitor for palpitations, has sensitive skin, works around shop equipment, and asks how to manage bathing, daily activities, and the symptom diary. Which Holter and telemetry application and patient education approach should you provide at hookup?
A PCT watches central telemetry on a night shift when a bed alarm sounds for suspected ventricular tachycardia in a patient who was resting comfortably. The unit requires immediate bedside check, keeping the patient on the monitor, and prompt nurse notification. Which response should the PCT initiate for this telemetry alert?
In a small urgent care room you must obtain a routine 12-lead EKG on an older adult who has a below-knee left leg amputation with a healed stump and a right modified mastectomy with a flat chest dressing, and the patient is anxious about lead placement. The machine allows quality tracings with documented modifications. Which EKG adaptation correctly balances accurate placement with respectful modification for amputation and mastectomy?
You are setting up a portable EKG unit in a clinic room for a routine 12-lead tracing on a stable adult. The machine shows low paper, the default speed setting was changed by the prior shift, and the tracing must show standard intervals for interpretation. Which EKG machine operation with correct paper speed ensures an accurate acquisition?
A technician in an outpatient clinic prepares a resting 12-lead EKG on a calm adult with a regular pulse, must verify normal sinus rhythm for the tracing, and recalls the sinoatrial node initiates each beat. The provider expects atrial depolarization, ventricular depolarization, and repolarization to appear in order. Which cardiac conduction-to-waveform sequence should the technician recognize to confirm the expected components?
In a busy emergency department, a 62-year-old adult with crushing chest pain has a bulky dressing over the right chest after recent mastectomy, has a left above-elbow amputation with a short stump, is diaphoretic, and needs a stat 12-lead EKG without delay. Which adapted electrode placement best preserves signal quality for this mastectomy and amputee EKG?
A PCT monitoring telemetry on a medical unit sees a sudden change on the bedside monitor: a rapid wide-complex rhythm at 180 beats per minute with no clear P waves in a patient who is pale and unresponsive, and the alarm is sounding. Which rhythm recognition and response best addresses this potentially life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia?
A PCT is recording a resting 12-lead ECG on a middle-aged adult in a chilly outpatient room who is shivering, chatting, and holding tense arms overhead, and the tracing shows irregular jagged spikes with a thick fuzzy baseline while all electrodes remain firmly attached. Which somatic artifact correction should the technician apply first to obtain a clear tracing?
During night shift on telemetry, a high-pitched alarm signals possible ventricular tachycardia for a patient assigned to your observation. The monitor shows a wild tracing, the patient room is quiet, and the nurse is down the hall. Which telemetry response best addresses the alert and alarm safely?
A 56-year-old patient arrives to the clinic for a routine 12-lead EKG, has chest hair, light lotion on the skin, and reports a racing heartbeat but is stable, clean, and able to lie still. The machine has new electrodes, skin prep pads, and 3-, 5-, and 12-lead cables. Which patient preparation and electrode placement action best ensures accurate 12-lead acquisition?
A cardiology technician reviews a telemetry strip for a stable adult with a regular rhythm, narrow QRS complexes, and one upright P wave before each QRS with consistent PR intervals. The nurse asks what the waveforms show about electrical activity. Which description of the cardiac conduction system and waveform components is accurate?
During a routine 12-lead ECG on an anxious adult who is shivering, talking, and breathing deeply in a cool room with nearby electrical equipment, the tracing shows wandering baseline, fuzzy thick lines, and sharp spikes. Which artifact correction sequence best produces a clean EKG acquisition?
A PCT transports a portable EKG machine to a busy medical unit for a routine 12-lead EKG on a stable adult with a regular rhythm, and the last tracing looked wide and stretched with depleted paper. Which machine operation produces a standard diagnostic tracing for interpretation?
While on cardiac monitoring rounds on a telemetry unit, your assigned patient with chest discomfort becomes unresponsive, the monitor shows a flat line with loose leads, and no carotid pulse is felt while the nurse runs for the code cart. Which immediate response to cardiopulmonary compromise should you initiate as the patient care technician?
A telemetry aide asks the technician to explain a normal EKG strip showing a small rounded P wave, a sharp tall QRS complex, and a rounded T wave during a calm sinus rhythm. Which cardiac conduction and waveform description correctly links the system sequence to the components?
A PCT monitoring telemetry sees a sudden wide-complex rapid rhythm at 180 beats per minute with no clear P waves in a patient who was talking but now is pale and reports chest pressure. Which rhythm recognition and monitoring action best addresses suspected ventricular tachycardia?
In a busy emergency department bay, a sweaty middle-aged patient reports chest pressure and needs a STAT 12-lead EKG. The chest is hairy with lotion residue, the patient is anxious, and the cardiac monitor shows artifact. Which preparation and placement step best prepares the patient and places 12-lead electrodes for acquisition?