A computer program for comprehensive ST-segment depression/heart rate analysis of the exercise ECG test.
The ST-segment depression/heart rate (ST/HR) analysis has been found to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the exercise ECG test in detecting myocardial ischemia. Recently, three different continuous diagnostic variables based on the ST/HR analysis have been introduced; the ST/HR slope, the ST/HR index and the ST/HR hysteresis. The latter utilises both the exercise and recovery phases of the exercise ECG test, whereas the two former are based on the exercise phase only. This present article presents a computer program which not only calculates the above three diagnostic variables but also plots the full diagrams of ST-segment depression against heart rate during both exercise and recovery phases for each ECG lead from given ST/HR data. The program can be used in the exercise ECG diagnosis of daily clinical practice provided that the ST/HR data from the ECG measurement system can be linked to the program. At present, the main purpose of the program is to provide clinical and medical researchers with a practical tool for comprehensive clinical evaluation and development of the ST/HR analysis.
Lehtinen
R
R
Ragnar Granit Institute, Tampere University of Technology, Finland. rami@ee.tut.fi
Vänttinen
H
H
Sievänen
H
H
Malmivuo
J
J
D005080:Exercise Test; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009716:Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012985:Software Design; D012986:Software Validation