Which chest lead placement is at the 5th intercostal space along the midclavicular line?

• A. V4 placement
• B. V3 placement
• C. V6 placement
• D. V5 placement

Answer: (A)

Understanding chest lead placement: the precordial leads map specific spots on the chest to capture the heart’s electrical activity. The left-side lead positioned at the 5th intercostal space along the midclavicular line is the V4 location. In the standard setup, V1 and V2 sit at the 4th intercostal space along the right and left sternal borders, V3 sits between V2 and V4, and then V4 is at the left 5th intercostal space on the midclavicular line. V5 and V6 are at the same horizontal level as V4 but move laterally to the anterior axillary and midaxillary lines, respectively. So the lead described by the 5th intercostal space on the midclavicular line corresponds to V4.