Which lead typically shows the best view of the left ventricle?

Lead V5 is known to provide the best view of the left ventricle in an electrocardiogram (EKG). This lead is positioned in the left lateral chest wall, typically located at the fifth intercostal space in the anterior axillary line. Its placement allows for effective visualization of the electrical activity associated with the left ventricle, primarily because it is oriented to capture the lateral wall of the heart.

The left ventricle is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood to the body, and understanding its electrical activity can be critical in diagnosing various cardiac conditions. Lead V5’s position makes it ideally suited to detect changes associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, ischemia, or other pathologies affecting the left ventricle.

In contrast, other leads provide different views of the heart's electrical activity. For instance, Lead V1 primarily assesses the right side of the heart and the septal region, Lead II provides an inferior view predominantly capturing atrial and right ventricular activity, while Lead aVR is focused on the right arm and does not give a good representation of the left ventricle.