Advantages of 5 vs 3 lead ECG

[mobey]

The service I just started with has a lifepak 12 with a standard 3 lead "plugged in" and ready to apply. I was doing my first unit check today when I ran across a 5 lead cord for it.

I have only ever used 3 for monitoring, I have searched google and the city but didn't find much info on the advantages of a 5 lead for monitoring.

And no this cord does not have the outlet for the precordial leads on it.

[JakeEMTP]

I looked too and was disappointed in the info on 5 leads. What I did gather though, is 3 lead seems to be superior to the 5 lead. The thinking being by moving lead 3 to various positions, you can actually do a 12 lead. I admit, we only use 12 lead here, so I can't say for sure that is what happens.

[mobey]

I think what your describing is a 9 lead, not nearly as good as a 12.

I am interested in monitoring rhythms only, I would still pop off a 12 lead for diagnostics.

Thanx for the try JakeEMT!!

[AZCEP]

I'm betting that you were never supposed to get a 5 lead cable. It's a pretty easy ordering SNAFU, but doesn't really grant a whole lot more in the grand scheme of things.

You have the standard four leads to gain the 6 limb leads (I,II,III,aVR, aVL, and aVF) then you add a chest lead to pick up whichever view you are after. Commonly, the chest lead will view V1 or V2. This way you will usually get a better view of the atrial activity, and some specific ECG events that don't show as well in anterior, or lateral leads.

For all intents and purposes, you could put the chest lead pretty much anywhere on the patient that you wanted to, since you probably won't use it for rhythm identification very often anyway.

[Medic26]

I know alot of places with a 12-lead usually set up the 3 standard monitored leads on the screen as II, III, AVF. Not sure if this is what they wanted to accomplish with a 5 lead cable as the 3 lead would not be able to do this. :?: You could also monitor V-1 if they were set up correctly with the 5 leads like an ICU type/critical care monitor, interesting?