What is a somatic tremor artifact in an ECG?

As a domain expert in cardiology with a focus on electrophysiology, I can explain what a somatic tremor artifact is in the context of an electrocardiogram (ECG). An ECG is a non-invasive test that records the electrical activity of the heart, which is essential for diagnosing various heart conditions. However, the ECG recording can be affected by various artifacts, which are disturbances that obscure the underlying cardiac signals. A somatic tremor artifact is one such disturbance that occurs when there is involuntary muscle movement or shivering by the patient during the ECG recording. This type of artifact appears as a wavy, high-frequency baseline that can make it difficult to interpret the ECG accurately. It is caused by the movement of the patient's limbs or torso, which in turn affects the electrodes' contact with the skin and the electrical signals being recorded. To minimize somatic tremor artifacts, patients are typically asked to remain as still as possible during the ECG recording. If the artifact is significant, the ECG may need to be repeated once the patient is more relaxed or the cause of the tremor has been addressed.

Muscle Tremor. Choppy interference throughout the tracing is often caused by patient movement, even shivering or chewing gum can cause artifact known as somatic tremor.