Securing Medical Telemetry Monitor Cables: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals

Hospitals use telemetry monitoring equipment on patients who have symptoms of cardiac irregularities and/or have experienced a heart attack. The telemetry wires or leads attach to the patient's chest area via electrodes, which sends images of heart activity to trained technicians to analyze for abnormalities in rhythm, rate and conduction.

Things You'll Need

• Soapy water
• Towels
• Razor
• Electrodes

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Instructions

• 1

  Cleanse the patient's chest area with soap and water. Dry thoroughly with a towel. Electrodes adhere better when placed onto clean skin.

• 2

  Shave the chest area to remove hair. Hair removal helps the electrodes stick to the skin, therefore, preventing interruption of cardiac monitoring activity.

• 3

  Check for proper lead placement. In addition, check the electrodes for adequate adhesive backing. Electrodes should have a sticky coating to adhere securely to the chest. Replace electrodes if the signal is not transmitting.