ECG Electrode Placement

Author: Scott A. Sheffield MS

Last update:

When performing an electrocardiogram (ECG), the electrodes have to be placed on various points of the body to record the electrical activity of the heart.

  1. image descriptionRight arm electrode
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Placement of the right arm (RA) electrode.
  1. image descriptionLeft arm electrode
Left arm electrode placement animation slide 1
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Placement of the left arm (LA) electrode.
  1. image descriptionLeft leg electrode

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Left leg electrode placement animation slide 1
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Placement of the left leg (LL) electrode.
  1. image descriptionSample EKG recording
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A sample ECG recording.

Standard Bipolar ECG Lead Electrodes:

Placement of the bipolar lead electrodes animation slide 1
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Placement of bipolar lead electrodes.

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The einthroven's triangle animation slide 1
The einthroven's triangle animation slide 14
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The einthroven's triangle animation slide 3
The einthroven's triangle animation slide 2
The formation of Einthoven's triangle.
  • image descriptionLead I (RA negative to LA postive)
Lead 1 of the einthoven's triangle animation slide 2
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Lead I of Einthoven's triangle.
  • image descriptionLead II (RA negative to LL positive)
Lead 2 of the einthoven's triangle animation slide 2
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Lead II of Einthoven's triangle
Lead 3 of the einthoven's triangle animation slide 2
Lead 3 of the einthoven's triangle animation slide 9
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Lead 3 of the einthoven's triangle animation slide 4
Lead 3 of the einthoven's triangle animation slide 3
Lead III of Einthoven's triangle.

Test yourself:

Placement of ECG electrodes: [image descriptionShow/image descriptionHide answers]

Standard ECG bipolar lead electrodes: [image descriptionShow/image descriptionHide answers]

Tes yourself image for the placement of ECG electrodes with answers hidden.
Test yourself image for the placement of ECG electrodes with answers shown: Right arm electrode, Left arm electrode, left leg electrode, sample ECG recording.
Review the placements of ECG electrodes and test yourself.
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Test yourself image for the standard bipolar ecg lead electrodes with answers hidden
Test yourself image for the standard bipolar ecg lead electrodes with answers shown; lead i, lead ii, lead iii, bipolar lead electrode, einthoven's triangle.
Review the placement of standard ECG lead electrodes and test yourself.
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