title: P-wave dispersion index: a marker of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
abstract: The P-wave triggered signal-averaged ECG (PSA-ECG) has shown controversial results in the evaluation of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Previously tested PSA-ECG parameters, i.e. P-wave filtered duration (Pd), root mean square voltage of the last 20 ms of the P-wave vector magnitude (RMS20) were compared with an index of P-wave dispersion (PDi = Pd (X, Y, Z lead) S.D./mean value x 100) in the evaluation of 40 subjects (24 M, 54 +/- 7 years) with or without PAF, without anti-arrhythmic therapy. Patients presented vs. controls higher Pd values (138 +/- 14 ms vs. 120 +/- 12 ms, P < 0.0005), PDi (8 +/- 2 ms vs. 1 +/- 1 ms, P < 0.0001) but no difference in RMS20. In the comparison of patients vs. controls, Pd > or = 125 ms presented 62% sensitivity and 78% specificity, PDi > or = 5.5 ms showed 83% sensitivity and 81% specificity: the combination of these two criteria differentiated a subgroup of patients with no recurrence of PAF in a 12 +/- 4 months follow-up PDi and Pd could be powerful criteria in the identification of patients and could be able to identify patients with low recurrences of PAF.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, General Hospital, Piacenza, Italy.
authors.forename: G Q
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Villani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piepoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capucci
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013614:Tachycardia, Paroxysmal / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers