READING A BASIC ECG

The first crude ECG was described in 1903 by Willem Einthoven. His procedure has been expanded, and now the probes used to measure electricity (called electrodes) are placed on the right and left arms, left leg, and across the chest wall. Currently there are 12 standardized “leads” for the standard ECG: bipolar leads I, II and III, described by Einthoven, augmented unipolar leads aVR, aVL and aVF and unipolar precordial leads V1-V6. How do these “leads” work and what do they mean?
When current passes to the positive end of the bipolar (2-sided) electrode, it causes a positive deflection, which corresponds to an upward movement of the pen on the ECG paper. Passage of current away from the positive pole of the bipolar electrode causes a negative deflection and a downward movement of the pen on the ECG paper. Current flowing at an oblique angle to the electrode causes smaller deflection, and current flowing perpendicular to the electrode does not cause any deflection in the recorder. Thus each lead “sees” the heart in a different way. This information is recorded on paper as a series of deflections and waves.