Assessment of the electrocardiograms performed in the Emergency Department of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital

Abstract

Background: The electrocardiogram is a non-invasive technique that has not been replaced due to the information it provides.
Objective: Correlate the automatic reports provided by the device with the cardiologist's criteria, classifying them into normal and with changes, defining the latter. By recognizing cardiac emergencies using ECG, treatment strategy can be improved. Material and method: A retrospective study of 557 consecutive ECGs performed in the Emergency Department of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital during 90 days was carried out. Different variables were analyzed such as: age, sex, normal traces and with changes, machine-specialist report correlation, and types of electrocardiographic abnormalities. Results: Electrocardiograms were performed on 8.9% of the attendees, for an average of 6.2 studies per day, of which 50.8% were normal, according to the assessment of the expert and changes were observed in 49.2%. There was a machine-specialist agreement in 83.3% of the studies performed. In those with changes, 22.6% were arrythmias with sinus tachycardia (41.6%) being the most frequent; conduction disorders were detected in 13.8% with left bundle branch block predominating (16.9%); 11.1% had increase of chamber size, and 5.0% showed ischemic changes. Conclusions: The correlation between machine and specialist was 83.3%. More than half of the ECGs were normal when adding the tracings with changes that were not pathological. Attention was drawn by the few acute myocardial infarction found.