Proper Skin Preparation

Doing these steps prior to every EKG/STRESS/HOLTER test is important in achieving quality ECG!

1. First be sure to know where the electrodes should go. Many techs do not place the electrodes in the correct position.  For instance, some techs place electrodes out of the way of women’s bras. A person’s gender does not change their heart position. It is important to place the electrodes in the correct position to accurately interpret data such as axis deviation.
2. Exfoliating the skin to remove dead skin cells and other debris is very important to ensure good electrode to skin contact.
3. The use of an alcohol wipe or similar astringent to remove oils and lotions is very important to ensure good electrode adhesion to the skin.
4. Create a stress loop for each lead wire and tape the loop to the patient. Proper stress loops will ensure that any tugging on the lead wires will not pull directly on the electrode connection and can help with decreasing artifact in the obtained data.
5. Prior to beginning the test, have the patient move to verify the ECG quality on your monitor. See that the connection is good and remains clear in each lead.
6.  Last verify that the date, time, demographics, etc. are correct prior to beginning the recording.

Here at Davis Medical our team of certified and experience technician's are here to help your practices or hospital staff with our recommended products and best practices. A good prep is extremely important for your patients and for accuracy. These are just some of the tips we like to provide to help make sure your patients have a less stressful experience.