Journal of electrocardiology
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It is well known that accurate interpretation of the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) requires a high degree of skill. There is also a moderate degree of variability among those who interpret the ECG. While this is the case, there are no best practice guidelines for the actual ECG interpretation process. Hence, this study adopts computerized eye tracking technology to investigate whether eye-gaze can be used to gain a deeper insight into how expert annotators interpret the ECG. Annotators were recruited in San Jose, California at the 2013 International Society of Computerised Electrocardiology (ISCE). ⋯ Eye tracking facilitated a deeper insight into how expert annotators interpret the 12-lead ECG. As a result, the authors recommend ECG annotators to adopt an initial first impression/pattern recognition approach followed by a conventional systematic protocol to ECG interpretation. This recommendation is based on observing misdiagnoses given due to first impression only. In summary, this research presents eye gaze results from expert ECG annotators and provides scope for future work that involves exploiting computerized eye tracking technology to further the science of ECG interpretation.
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Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) induces changes in the depolarization and repolarization of the heart that alter the resting electrocardiogram (ECG). These changes include widening of the QRS duration, an increase in the QRS amplitude and secondary changes in the ST segment and T waves. Typically, there is ST segment depression and T wave inversion (or biphasic T waves) in the lateral leads and ST segment elevation (STE) in the precordial leads V1-V3. ⋯ These changes may vary over time and may not necessarily reflect acute ischemia. The ST-T changes secondary to LVH interfere with ECG interpretation and may affect our accuracy in diagnosing STEMI and other forms of active ischemia. The current guidelines specify thresholds for STE in patients without LVH for whom acute reperfusion therapy is indicated; however, there are no such thresholds for patients with LVH.
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Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is a recently recognized novel cardiac syndrome characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction without obstructive coronary disease, electrocardiographic (ECG) changes (ST-segment elevation and/or negative T wave) or elevated cardiac enzymes. Because the clinical features and ECG findings of TC mimic those of anterior acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, differential diagnosis has an important role in selecting the most appropriate treatment strategy. ⋯ Although it has been suggested that ECG does not allow reliable differentiation between TC and anterior AMI, several ECG criteria distinguishing TC from anterior AMI have been proposed. In this review, we discuss ECG findings of TC, especially in the acute phase, compare them with those of anterior AMI, and identify ECG features that may facilitate early recognition of this disease.
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Comparative Study
Differences in ST-elevation and T-wave amplitudes do not reliably differentiate takotsubo cardiomyopathy from acute anterior myocardial infarction.
Previous efforts to distinguish acute anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (anterior-STEMI) from various forms of takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) by electrocardiography (ECG) have produced differing results. ⋯ In patients with anterior ST-elevation and acute chest pain, lack of ST-elevation in lead V1 and ST-elevation amplitude <2mm in lead V2 suggests a TTC diagnosis. However, this criterion is not reliable enough in clinical practice to distinguish between TTC and anterior-STEMI patients.