The leads that allow you to see the electrical flow in the horizontal plane or circumference of the chest. There are 6 of them, obtained by pairing each positive electrode with the central terminal. They are unipolar and view current flowing from the heart towards the chest wall. What are these leads called?

The leads that allow you to see the electrical flow in the horizontal plane or circumference of the chest. There are 6 of them, obtained by pairing each positive electrode with the central terminal. They are unipolar and view current flowing from the heart towards the chest wall. What are these leads called?

• A. Precordial Leads
• B. Standard Limb Leads
• C. Bipolar Leads
• D. Unipolar Leads

Answer: (A)

These are the precordial leads. They are the six chest electrodes (V1–V6) arranged across the precordium to capture electrical activity in the horizontal (transverse) plane of the heart. Each chest lead uses a single positive electrode paired with Wilson’s central terminal, making them unipolar. Because the depolarization wavefront moves toward the chest wall, the current is recorded as a deflection toward the chest electrode, and you see the characteristic R-wave progression as you move from right to left across the chest. This set specifically views the heart in the horizontal plane, distinguishing them from the limb leads, which view the heart in the frontal plane.

These are the precordial leads. They are the six chest electrodes (V1–V6) arranged across the precordium to capture electrical activity in the horizontal (transverse) plane of the heart. Each chest lead uses a single positive electrode paired with Wilson’s central terminal, making them unipolar. Because the depolarization wavefront moves toward the chest wall, the current is recorded as a deflection toward the chest electrode, and you see the characteristic R-wave progression as you move from right to left across the chest. This set specifically views the heart in the horizontal plane, distinguishing them from the limb leads, which view the heart in the frontal plane.