EKG lead reversals?

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I posted this question in this category because most of you most likely deal with ekgs. I took an EKG of a patient, doctor saw it and called for code STEMI. Before that, when I was taking the ekg, machine suggested limb leads reversal so I double checked but all leads were placed in the right places. So my question is does anyone of you experience ekg machine saying leads are reversed but actually they are not?

I am an ER tech in training. I am a bit nervous right now because the patient was sent to cath lab after the ekg. What if the leads were really placed wrong but then again, I saw what I saw and all leads were on right places.

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Specializes in CVICU.

Were you sure you placed them according to the patients right and left? For example the lead labeled RA was on the patients right arm not your right? And even if you did the results that the doctors look at probably would not be that skewed. When the dr diagnoses a stemi this means st segment elevated myocardial infarct so he's looking at the st segment. The interventional cardiologist also looks at the EKG so I'm sure you did it right. Some machines are weird anyways

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Specializes in Cardiovascular.

Never take the ECG machine interpretation as the final word. I have seen too many wrong explanations through the years from a machine. Trust the MD's interpretation first.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.
Never take the ECG machine interpretation as the final word. I have seen too many wrong explanations through the years from a machine. Trust the MD's interpretation first.

Agree. You cannot always trust what the machine spits out at you. That's why the MD reviews it.

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Thank you all for the replies. I spoke to an ekg tech in the hospital who's been using the same machine for a lot of years and she said the machine is "weird" sometimes that it will say leads are reversed but in actuality are not. I feel relieved.

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I have gotten the same message a few times before. Not to worry, you know how to do the EKG and no one can fake a STEMI. It is good he went to the cath lab as quick as he did.

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