What are artifacts in an electrocardiogram?

• A. Electrocardiographic alterations not related to cardiac electrical activity
• B. Normal rhythm changes
• C. Intrinsic conduction delay only
• D. Accurate reflection of heart rate

Answer: (A)

Artifacts on an electrocardiogram are alterations caused by sources other than the heart’s own electrical activity. They show up as waveforms or distortions that don’t match the true electrical events of the heart, so they don’t reflect what the heart is actually doing.

Examples include poor skin contact or movement of the limbs, which can create wandering baselines or jittery lines, and electrical interference from nearby devices or power lines, which can produce random spikes or noise. Because these changes aren’t caused by the heart’s intrinsic activity, they can make the tracing look abnormal even when the heart is functioning normally.

This is why the description “electrocardiographic alterations not related to cardiac electrical activity” is the best fit. Normal rhythm changes, intrinsic conduction delays, and heart rate accuracy all relate to the heart’s own electrical activity or how we measure it, not to external artifacts.