Cardiac Surgery Certification (CSC) Practice Exam

Connecting an atrial pacing wire to the chest lead and recording "V" is a method that can help diagnose atrial activity. The rationale here revolves around understanding the anatomy and the placement of leads used in cardiac monitoring.

In this context, chest leads (often referred to as precordial leads) are positioned over the heart to gain a better view of the electrical activity emanating from the atria and ventricles. By utilizing an atrial pacing wire, which specifically detects electrical signals from the atria, and connecting it to a chest lead, the electrical impulses generated by the atrial muscle can be effectively monitored. This allows for identifying any atrial arrhythmias or atrial activity post-CABG.

The correctness of connecting the atrial pacing wire in this way enhances the likelihood of capturing true atrial depolarization events, giving clinicians crucial information about the patient’s atrial rhythm after the surgical procedure. Thus, this method serves as a useful diagnostic tool in the postoperative management of patients who have undergone CABG surgery.