Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Test

What should be ensured regarding the skin before applying pacing pads?

1. It is dry

2. It is moist

3. It is covered with lotion

4. It has no body hair

The correct answer is: It is dry

Before applying pacing pads, it is essential to ensure that the skin is dry. Dry skin helps facilitate optimal adhesion of the pads, which is crucial for effective pacing. When the skin is dry, the conductive gel on the pads can make better contact, ensuring an efficient electrical connection with the underlying tissue. This is important for the pads to deliver the appropriate pacing impulses effectively. Moist skin can lead to poor adhesion and might cause the pads to fall off during pacing, which jeopardizes treatment. Similarly, body hair can interfere with the contact between the pacemaker pads and the skin, potentially affecting the quality of the pacing. Using lotion on the skin before applying pacing pads is also not advisable, as it can create a barrier between the skin and the pad, further compromising adhesion and conductivity. Therefore, ensuring that the skin is dry is vital for the success of the pacing procedure.