Artifact — ECG/EKG Terminology

Definition: Any electrical signal on the monitor that does NOT come from the heart—it's noise that can mimic or hide real rhythms.

Key Facts

• Common causes: loose electrodes, patient movement, electrical interference
• Can look exactly like dangerous arrhythmias
• A moving patient might look like "ventricular fibrillation" on the monitor
• When the monitor shows danger but the patient looks fine, suspect artifact

ECG Connection: Artifact appears as wandering baseline, spikes, or chaotic patterns that don't match the patient's clinical condition.

Why It Matters: Artifact can mimic lethal rhythms; you must correlate with the patient.