Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) Medical Assisting ADE Practice Exam

Standardization is the process used to make ECG results comparable across different machines. It involves calibrating the device so that a known voltage produces a consistent deflection on the tracing, typically 1 mV equating to 10 mm, and using a standard paper speed (usually 25 mm/s). This alignment ensures heart signals have the same scale and appearance regardless of which machine performed the test. Other terms describe specific aspects of ECGs rather than the overall practice of making results comparable: a standard limb lead refers to electrode placement, a tracing is the recorded ECG itself, and a standardization mark is just a calibration indicator rather than the process.