Causes of baseline drift

  Patient's motion

  Deep breathing (only in chest leads)

  Loosely connected electrodes

  Metal dust on skin

  Dirty tips of the electrode cables

  Voltage changes in wall electricity




ECG 1a. Baseline drift.

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ECG 1b. The succeeding ECG of the patient.

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ECG 2a. Baseline drift in leads C1, C2 and C3 may suggest ST elevation at a first glance.

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ECG 2b. The succeeding ECG of the patient shows no ST segment elevation after baseline drift has disappeared.

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ECG 3. Baseline drift in another patient may give the impression of VT at first glance. VPS is seen in leads C1, C2 and C3.
Baseline drift in leads II, III, C4, C5 and C6 may suggest the diagnosis of VT at first glance.
However, observation of normal QRS complex in leads C4 to C6 show that it is artifact.

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ECG 4. Baseline drift in a patient with an implanted DDDR type pacemaker. It does NOT indicate pacemaker dysfunction.

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ECG 5. Baseline drift may involve only a short segment.

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ECG 6. Baseline drift may involve only a single derivation.

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ECG 7. Short-lasting baseline drift gives the impression of q wave , ST segment depression and ST segment elevation for a
single beat. Absence of similar findings in other beats show that this is an artifact.

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ECG 8. Short-lasting baseline drift coincident with the P wave deforms it giving the impression of APC at first glance
(Remember that APCs have premature P waves which generally have different shapes). However, the regularity of QRS
complexes (absence of prematurity) in the above ECG shows that the atypical appearance of that P wave is due to baseline drift.

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