Which limb serves as the ground lead in a standard 12-lead ECG?

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Multiple Choice

Which limb serves as the ground lead in a standard 12-lead ECG?

Explanation:
Grounding an ECG provides a stable reference and helps reject noise so the heart’s electrical signals are measured more accurately. In a standard 12-lead setup, the limb electrodes on the arms and leg form the limb leads, but there is a separate grounding electrode placed on the right leg. This right-leg ground creates a low-impedance reference point that improves common-mode rejection without interfering with the actual limb leads (which use the arms and left leg). The arms form the recording limbs, not the ground. So the ground lead is on the right leg.

Grounding an ECG provides a stable reference and helps reject noise so the heart’s electrical signals are measured more accurately. In a standard 12-lead setup, the limb electrodes on the arms and leg form the limb leads, but there is a separate grounding electrode placed on the right leg. This right-leg ground creates a low-impedance reference point that improves common-mode rejection without interfering with the actual limb leads (which use the arms and left leg). The arms form the recording limbs, not the ground. So the ground lead is on the right leg.

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