What best describes how the 12-lead ECG wires are organized?

• A. They are arranged alphabetically.
• B. They are screened for safety.
• C. They are color coded.
• D. They are arranged by patient height.

Answer: (C)

Wires are color coded. This system assigns specific colors to each electrode site so clinicians can quickly and accurately attach the correct leads to the right places. Color coding keeps the limb leads and chest (precordial) leads consistently mapped, reducing the chance of swapping electrodes or placing them in the wrong locations, which would distort the ECG tracing. Alphabetical organization doesn’t reflect anatomical positions, safety screening is about checking connections and safety rather than how leads are arranged, and arranging by patient height doesn’t align with the fixed anatomical sites where leads must be placed.