ECG as a screening tool
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
A recent study among asymptomatic post-menopausal women found an adjusted hazard ratios for CHD events of 1.55 (95% CI, 1.14-2.11) for minor, 3.01 (95% CI, 2.03-4.46) for major ECG abnormalities.[1] This study used a well defined list of major and minor ECG abnormalities that can be used to get a feel for major and minor ECG abnormalities:
Major ECG abnormalities[1][2]:
- atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter
- high-degree atrioventricular dissociation
- left bundle-branch block
- right bundle-branch block
- indeterminate conduction delay
- Q-wave MI
- isolated ischemic abnormalities
- left ventricular hypertrophy with ST-T abnormalities
- supraventricular tachycardia
- ventricular preexcitation
- ventricular tachycardia
Minor ECG abnormalities[1][2]:
- first- and second-degree atrioventricular block
- borderline prolonged ventricular excitation
- prolonged ventricular repolarization
- isolated minor Q and ST-T abnormalities
- left ventricular hypertrophy without ST-T abnormalities
- left atrial enlargement
- frequent atrial or ventricular premature beats
- fascicular blocks
ECG markers of increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias in ICD patients
In a recent study several ECG risk markers were found to be associated with appropiate therapy in ICD patients[3]:
- Depressed heart rate variability (HRV) [HR 2.7]
- BBB with large QRS dispersion of > 39 msec (difference between maximal and minimum QRS across 12 leads) [HR 2.9]
- Reduced maximal T wave amplitude (<0.4 msec in patients without BBB) [HR 3.8]
- History of atrial arrhythmias [HR 2.3]
References
Error fetching PMID 9682893:
Error fetching PMID 17341712:
Error fetching PMID 23118007:
Error fetching PMID 17341712:
Error fetching PMID 23118007:
- Error fetching PMID 17341712:
- Error fetching PMID 9682893:
- Error fetching PMID 23118007: