Lesson 1Recognizing and correcting common artifacts: movement, muscle tremor, baseline wander, AC interference, and poor contactThis lesson teaches you to spot common problems like movement, shaking, line drifting, power noise, and bad connections, and gives clear steps to fix them before finishing the recording in our local setups.
Spotting patient movement problemsHandling muscle shaking and cold tremorsFixing causes of line driftingReducing power and electrical noiseImproving electrode sticking qualityChecking the trace again after fixesLesson 2Escalation protocol when abnormal/dangerous tracing identified: notifying clinician, activating emergency response, and documenting communicationsIt describes what to do when you see dangerous or unusual ECG results, including who to tell, how to start emergency help, and how to record talks and times correctly in our health centres.
Defining unusual and serious findingsTelling the in-charge doctorStarting emergency help systemsStaying with sick patientsRecording times and people contactedHanding over ECG and patient detailsLesson 3Patient identification and verifying test request against medical record and referral detailsThis covers checking patient identity, matching the ECG request to the file and referral, looking at reasons and risks, and sorting out any mix-ups to make sure the right test is done on the right person.
Using two special patient markersMatching request to file and wristbandConfirming reason and urgencySorting mix-ups before testingRecording check stepsLesson 4Room and equipment preparation: safety checks, infection control, electrical safety, and privacy setupIt explains setting up the ECG room and tools, including cleaning to stop germs, checking power and wires for safety, privacy setups, and ready supplies for a safe and comfortable testing space in Uganda.
Daily check of ECG machine workLooking at leads and power wiresCleaning bed and touched surfacesHand washing and protective gear choiceSetting screens and coversStocking paper, electrodes, and gelLesson 5Recording special populations and technical variants: obese patients, left ventricular hypertrophy, bundle branch block, and paced rhythmsIt details changes for overweight patients and those with big heart muscle, blocked bundles, or machine-paced hearts, including adjusting lead spots, machine settings, and noting differences for better reading.
Adjusting leads for overweight patientsRecording in suspected big heart muscleECG signs of bundle branch blockCapturing machine-paced hearts wellNoting unusual lead spotsMentioning tech limits on reportLesson 6ECG acquisition settings: filter, gain, paper speed, leads display, and calibration checksIt explains main ECG machine settings like paper speed, strength, filters, lead views, and calibration checks. It stresses when to change settings and how to confirm calibration for correct measures in local use.
Standard paper speed and when to adjustChanging strength for small or big signalsUsing muscle and line filters carefullyChoosing lead view typesRunning a 1 mV calibration signalRecording settings on the printoutLesson 7Skin preparation techniques: shaving, abrasion, cleaning, and electrode selectionThis covers checking and preparing skin, including shaving hair, light rubbing, cleaning with right cleaners, and picking good electrodes to lower resistance and cut down on problems.
Checking skin for sores or devicesShaving too much chest hair safelyUsing rubbing to lower resistanceCleaning with alcohol or soapPicking right electrode typeMaking sure electrodes stick wellLesson 8Standard ECG lead positions: limb leads, precordial leads V1–V6, and anatomical landmarksIt reviews standard arm/leg and chest lead spots, key body marks, and common mistakes. It stresses exact, repeatable placing to ensure good quality and comparable ECGs in our clinics.
Right and left arm/leg lead placingFinding spaces between ribsCorrect V1 and V2 spotsPlacing V3–V6 along chest wallAvoiding breast tissue move errorsChecking evenness and samenessLesson 9Immediate recognition of life-threatening patterns: STEMI, ventricular tachycardia, complete heart block, and asystole and immediate actionsIt focuses on quick spotting of heart attack signs, fast ventricle beats, full block, and no beat on resting ECG, and lists quick actions, reporting paths, and basic safety for technicians.
ECG signs for heart attack spottingIdentifying fast ventricle beatsSpotting full heart blockConfirming real no beat vs problemQuick actions and reportingRecording serious ECG eventsLesson 10Post-test documentation: report components, transmitting ECG to physician, storage, labeling, time stamps, and quality assurance logsIt outlines needed after-test records, including labeling, time marks, report parts, storage, safe sending to doctor, and quality logs to support tracking and checks in Ugandan facilities.
Key markers on each traceRecording date, time, and operatorSumming tech quality notesSending ECG to doctor systemsStoring and backup stepsFinishing QA and event logs
