The impact of skin preparation method on electrocardiogram quality in horses.

OBJECTIVE: Several skin preparation techniques are used in electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring of horses. The objective of this study was to determine which methods produce the greatest signal quality using textile electrodes and standard silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) electrodes.

ANIMALS AND SAMPLES: Electrocardiogram data were collected using textile and Ag/AgCl electrodes simultaneously for 4 skin preparation techniques in 6 horses.

PROCEDURE: The effects of skin preparation (cleansing with isopropyl alcohol, with or without shaving the hair) and the effects of the application of a conductive gel were assessed using metrics of signal quality.

RESULTS: Shaving and cleansing with alcohol had no effect on signal quality for either electrode type. The Ag/AgCl electrodes contain a solid gel, and the application of additional gel did not affect signal quality. Data quality was significantly improved when gel was applied to textile electrodes. Furthermore, there was no difference in signal quality between electrode types when gel was used.

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study suggests that skin preparation by cleansing and/or shaving does not have a significant effect on equine ECG signal quality. When gel is used, textile electrodes are a practical alternative for Ag/AgCl electrodes, as they produce ECG recordings of the same quality.