Lesson 1Recognising and correcting common artefacts: movement, muscle tremor, baseline wander, AC interference, and poor contactThis lesson teaches you to identify common artefacts like movement, shaking, baseline shifts, electrical noise, and bad connections, and gives step-by-step ways to fix them before recording the final ECG.
Spotting patient movement artefactsHandling muscle shakes and shiveringFixing causes of baseline wanderReducing AC and electrical noiseImproving electrode attachment qualityChecking the tracing after fixesLesson 2Escalation protocol when abnormal/dangerous tracing identified: notifying clinician, activating emergency response, and documenting communicationsThis lesson describes what to do when you see dangerous or unusual ECG results, including who to inform, how to start emergency help, and how to record all talks and times correctly.
Defining abnormal and critical findingsInforming the responsible clinicianStarting emergency response systemsStaying with unstable patientsRecording times and contacts madeHanding over ECG and clinical detailsLesson 3Patient identification and verifying test request against medical record and referral detailsThis covers checking patient identity, matching the ECG request to the records and referral, looking at reasons and risks, and sorting out any differences to make sure the right test is done on the right person.
Using two unique patient identifiersMatching request to chart and wristbandConfirming indication and urgencyResolving discrepancies before testingDocumenting verification stepsLesson 4Room and equipment preparation: safety checks, infection control, electrical safety, and privacy setupThis explains setting up the ECG room and equipment, including preventing infections, checking electrical and cable safety, privacy steps, and preparing supplies for a safe, comfortable, and proper testing space.
Daily ECG machine function checkInspecting leads and power cordsCleaning couch and high-touch surfacesHand washing and PPE selectionPositioning screens and drapesStocking paper, electrodes, and gelLesson 5Recording special populations and technical variants: obese patients, left ventricular hypertrophy, bundle branch block, and paced rhythmsThis details changes for overweight patients and those with enlarged left ventricle, bundle branch issues, or paced heartbeats, including adjusting lead places, machine settings, and noting variations for correct reading.
Adjusting leads in obese patientsRecording in suspected LVHECG features of bundle branch blockCapturing paced rhythms accuratelyDocumenting nonstandard lead positionsNoting technical limitations on reportLesson 6ECG acquisition settings: filter, gain, paper speed, leads display, and calibration checksThis explains main ECG machine settings like paper speed, gain, filters, lead views, and calibration checks. It stresses when to change settings and how to confirm calibration for accurate measurements.
Standard paper speed and when to changeAdjusting gain for small or large signalsUsing muscle and baseline filters safelySelecting lead display formatsRunning a 1 mV calibration signalRecording settings on the ECG printoutLesson 7Skin preparation techniques: shaving, abrasion, cleaning, and electrode selectionThis covers checking and preparing skin, including shaving hair, light rubbing, cleaning with right agents, and picking suitable electrodes to lower resistance and cut down artefacts.
Inspecting skin for lesions or devicesShaving excessive chest hair safelyUsing abrasion to lower impedanceCleaning with alcohol or soapSelecting appropriate electrode typeEnsuring firm electrode adhesionLesson 8Standard ECG lead positions: limb leads, precordial leads V1–V6, and anatomical landmarksThis reviews standard arm and chest lead positions, key body landmarks, and common mistakes. It stresses accurate, repeatable placing to ensure good quality and comparable ECGs.
Right and left limb lead placementLocating intercostal spacesCorrect V1 and V2 positioningPlacing V3–V6 along the chest wallAvoiding breast tissue displacement errorsChecking symmetry and consistencyLesson 9Immediate recognition of life-threatening patterns: STEMI, ventricular tachycardia, complete heart block, and asystole and immediate actionsThis focuses on quick spotting of heart attack signs, fast heart rhythms, full block, and no heartbeat on resting ECG, and lists immediate steps, reporting paths, and basic safety for the technician.
ECG criteria for STEMI detectionIdentifying ventricular tachycardiaRecognising complete heart blockConfirming true asystole vs artefactImmediate actions and escalationDocumenting critical ECG eventsLesson 10Post-test documentation: report components, transmitting ECG to physician, storage, labelling, time stamps, and quality assurance logsThis outlines needed after-test records, including labelling, time marks, report parts, storage, safe sending to the doctor, and quality logs to support tracking and checks.
Essential identifiers on each tracingRecording date, time, and operatorSummarising technical quality notesTransmitting ECG to physician systemsArchiving and backup proceduresCompleting QA and incident logs
