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A Concise History of the ECG: Difference between revisions
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'''1931''' Charles Wolferth and Francis Wood describe the use of exercise to provoke attacks of angina pectoris. They investigated the ECG changes in normal subjects and those with angina but dismissed the technique as too dangerous "to induce anginal attacks indiscriminately". <cite>Wood</cite> | '''1931''' Charles Wolferth and Francis Wood describe the use of exercise to provoke attacks of angina pectoris. They investigated the ECG changes in normal subjects and those with angina but dismissed the technique as too dangerous "to induce anginal attacks indiscriminately". <cite>Wood</cite> | ||
'''1931''' Dr Albert Hyman patents the first 'artificial cardiac pacemaker' which stimulates the heart by using a transthoracic needle. His aim was to produce a device that was small enough to fit in a doctor's bag and stimulate the right atrial area of the heart with a suitably insulated needle. His experiments were on animals. His original machine was powered by a crankshaft (it was later prototyped by a German company but was never successful). "By March 1, 1932 the artificial pacemaker had been used about 43 times, with a successful outcome in 14 cases." It was not until 1942 that a report of its successful short term use in Stokes-Adams attacks was presented. Hyman | '''1931''' Dr Albert Hyman patents the first 'artificial cardiac pacemaker' which stimulates the heart by using a transthoracic needle. His aim was to produce a device that was small enough to fit in a doctor's bag and stimulate the right atrial area of the heart with a suitably insulated needle. His experiments were on animals. His original machine was powered by a crankshaft (it was later prototyped by a German company but was never successful). "By March 1, 1932 the artificial pacemaker had been used about 43 times, with a successful outcome in 14 cases." It was not until 1942 that a report of its successful short term use in Stokes-Adams attacks was presented. <cite>Hyman</cite> | ||
'''1932''' Goldhammer and Scherf propose the use of the electrocardiogram after moderate exercise as an aid to the diagnosis of coronary insufficiency. Goldhammer S, Scherf D. Elektrokardiographische untersuchungen bei kranken mit angina pectoris. Z Klin Med 1932;122:134 | '''1932''' Goldhammer and Scherf propose the use of the electrocardiogram after moderate exercise as an aid to the diagnosis of coronary insufficiency. Goldhammer S, Scherf D. Elektrokardiographische untersuchungen bei kranken mit angina pectoris. Z Klin Med 1932;122:134 | ||
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'''1949''' Montana physician Norman Jeff Holter develops a 75 pound backpack that can record the ECG of the wearer and transmit the signal. His system, the Holter Monitor, is later greatly reduced in size, combined with tape / digital recording and used to record ambulatory ECGs. <cite>Holter</cite> | '''1949''' Montana physician Norman Jeff Holter develops a 75 pound backpack that can record the ECG of the wearer and transmit the signal. His system, the Holter Monitor, is later greatly reduced in size, combined with tape / digital recording and used to record ambulatory ECGs. <cite>Holter</cite> | ||
'''1949''' Sokolow and Lyon propose diagnostic criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy i.e. LVH is present if the sum of the size of the S wave in V1 plus the R wave in V6 exceeds 35 mm. Sokolow | '''1949''' Sokolow and Lyon propose diagnostic criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy i.e. LVH is present if the sum of the size of the S wave in V1 plus the R wave in V6 exceeds 35 mm. <cite>Sokolow</cite> | ||
'''1950''' John Hopps, a Canadian electrical engineer and researcher for the National Research Council, together with two physicians (Wilfred Bigelow, MD of the University of Toronto and his trainee, John C. Callaghan, MD) show that a coordinated heart muscle contraction can be stimulated by an electrical impulse delivered to the sino-atrial node. The apparatus, the first cardiac pacemaker, measures 30cm, runs on vacuum tubes and is powered by household 60Hz electrical current. Bigelow WG, Callaghan JC, Hopps JA. "General hypothermia for experimental intracardiac surgery." Ann Surg 1950; 1132: 531-539. | '''1950''' John Hopps, a Canadian electrical engineer and researcher for the National Research Council, together with two physicians (Wilfred Bigelow, MD of the University of Toronto and his trainee, John C. Callaghan, MD) show that a coordinated heart muscle contraction can be stimulated by an electrical impulse delivered to the sino-atrial node. The apparatus, the first cardiac pacemaker, measures 30cm, runs on vacuum tubes and is powered by household 60Hz electrical current. Bigelow WG, Callaghan JC, Hopps JA. "General hypothermia for experimental intracardiac surgery." Ann Surg 1950; 1132: 531-539. | ||
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'''1992''' Cohen and He describe a new non-invasive approach to accurately map cardiac electrical activity by using the surface Laplacian map of the body surface electrical potentials. <cite>He</cite> | '''1992''' Cohen and He describe a new non-invasive approach to accurately map cardiac electrical activity by using the surface Laplacian map of the body surface electrical potentials. <cite>He</cite> | ||
[[Image:modern_ecg.jpg|thumb|The last generation of ECG equipment. Image courtesy of [http://www.gehealthcare.com/euen/cardiology/ General Electric]]] | |||
'''1993''' Robert Zalenski, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University Detroit, and colleagues publish an influential article on the clinical use of the 15-lead ECG which routinely uses V4R, V8 and V9 in the diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes. Like the addition of the 6 standardised unipolar chest leads in 1938 these additional leads increase the sensitivity of the electrocardiogram in detecting myocardial infarction. <cite>Zalenski</cite> | '''1993''' Robert Zalenski, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University Detroit, and colleagues publish an influential article on the clinical use of the 15-lead ECG which routinely uses V4R, V8 and V9 in the diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes. Like the addition of the 6 standardised unipolar chest leads in 1938 these additional leads increase the sensitivity of the electrocardiogram in detecting myocardial infarction. <cite>Zalenski</cite> | ||
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'''2000''' Physicians from the Mayo Clinic describe a new hereditary form of Short QT syndrome associated with syncope and sudden death that they discovered in 1999. Several genes have since been implicated. <cite>Gussak</cite> | '''2000''' Physicians from the Mayo Clinic describe a new hereditary form of Short QT syndrome associated with syncope and sudden death that they discovered in 1999. Several genes have since been implicated. <cite>Gussak</cite> | ||
'''2005''' Danish cardiologists report the successful reduction in the time between onset of chest pain and primary angioplasty when the ECG of patients is transmitted wirelessly from ambulance to the cardiologist's handheld PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The clinician can make an immediate decision to redirect patients to the catheter lab saving time in transfers between hospital departments. <cite>Clemmensen</cite> | '''2005''' Danish cardiologists report the successful reduction in the time between onset of chest pain and primary angioplasty when the ECG of patients is transmitted wirelessly from ambulance to the cardiologist's handheld PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The clinician can make an immediate decision to redirect patients to the catheter lab saving time in transfers between hospital departments. <cite>Clemmensen</cite> | ||
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#Jervell pmid=13435203 | #Jervell pmid=13435203 | ||
#Wilson Wilson NF, Johnston FE, Macleod AG, Barker PS. ''Electrocardiograms that represent the potential variations of a single electrode.'' Am Heart J. 1934;9:447-458. | #Wilson Wilson NF, Johnston FE, Macleod AG, Barker PS. ''Electrocardiograms that represent the potential variations of a single electrode.'' Am Heart J. 1934;9:447-458. | ||
#Sokolow pmid=18107386 | |||
#Hyman Hyman AS. ''Resuscitation of the stopped heart by intracardial therapy.'' Arch Intern Med. 1932;50:283 | |||
</biblio> | </biblio> | ||