Managing an ECG Monitor involves setting up a continuous recording of the electrical activity of the heart, ensuring the recorder is functioning correctly, and interpreting the tracing. An electrocardiography monitor, or cardiac monitor, can be used to observe cardiac rhythm. It displays a single lead trace on a screen, in real time. ECG monitoring should be used in patients who may be at risk of developing arrhythmias, otherwise known as an abnormal rate or rhythm. This is to enable early detection and treatment of these arrhythmias, which may lead to cardiac arrest. The trace from an ECG monitor should only be used for rhythm recognition, not the analysis of other ECG abnormalities such as ST segment changes. When an arrhythmia occurs, a 12-lead ECG should ideally be recorded alongside the single lead monitoring trace. The procedure of Recording a 12 lead ECG is covered elsewhere in the Tomorrow’s Clinicians series.
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