• M Dudley and K S Channer.
• Department of Accident and Emergency Medicine, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield.
• J Accid Emerg Med. 1997 Sep 1; 14 (5): 307-10.

ObjectiveTo assess the value of a cardiac technicians' report on electrocardiographs (ECGs) in reducing serious errors of interpretation by senior house officers.MethodsA parallel study of interpretation of ECGs by senior house officers from 238 cases seen in an accident and emergency (A&E) department in a teaching hospital. 129 ECGs were reported by a cardiac technician at the time of recording and before the senior house officer wrote a report, and 109 were reported only by the senior house officers. Misinterpretations by doctors and technicians were graded by a consultant cardiologist on a four point scale and compared in the two groups. Serious errors (grade 4) were defined as those which potentially affected immediate management.ResultsThe number of grade 4 errors of interpretation of ECGs by A&E senior house officers was reduced by 59% when there was a prior technical report (mean (SD), 18(17)% v 6 (7%); Fisher's exact test P < 0.05).ConclusionsWhen cardiac technicians provide a report on an ECG at the time of its recording, serious errors of interpretation by senior house officers are reduced.

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